


Flight of Cendrillon

by Rebochan



Category: Vocaloid
Genre: Alternate History, Cendrillon, Cinderella Elements, F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-17
Updated: 2018-01-14
Packaged: 2018-09-25 01:53:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 132,937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9797297
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rebochan/pseuds/Rebochan
Summary: "Tonight you are a Cinderella, and when the clock strikes twelve, you will become a princess."It is 1914, and the continent of Uralia is on the brink of war as the aggressive Estmarch Empire prepares a grand ball to honor its prince, Kaito of House Shion. But that evening a lovely young beauty is sent to spend the evening with him... and take his life at the twelfth bell of midnight.Miku has known nothing but hardship and pain, sleeping within the cinders to keep warm. She has been given her first mission as an assassin, a "Cinderella", and she knows both her own fate and that of the prince. But when Prince Kaito turns out to be quite different from his tyrannical parents, Miku's training slips and she finds herself drawn to his kind heart. As the final bell tolls, Miku tries to change their fates...At midnight, the spells ends... and Cendrillon must flee as the fires of revolution consume everything in their path...Currently running series, updates every other Friday.





	1. Gunpowder Perfume

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Miku Hatsune travels to the capital city of Estmarch to attend a grand ball in honor of its Crown Prince. Taking the false identity of a Countess, she is to kill him at the final midnight bell. But when the child of cinders meets the son of tyrants, she finds herself drawn to his kind heart... leaving their fates in her hands.
> 
> Cendrillon must flee at midnight... and fire will consume everything behind her...

The sounds of the carriage wheels gliding over the streets of the grand Estmarch capital kept Miku Hatsune’s mind focused during her ride through the September moonlight.  Her pure white gown, ruffled around the sleeves and matching the white ribbons of tying her hair into two long teal pigtails, made her appear as innocent as newly fallen snow.  A small tiara of flowers nestled in her hair, perpetuating what she knew to be an illusion.

Her “innocence” was a lie.

She glanced out the windows as she tried to make a mental image of Vedunia as it was tonight.  She’d already ridden in through the slums, where poverty and strife claimed those deemed “lesser.”

Now she rode through the wealthy districts where those close to the seat of power flaunted their money and privilege.  Clean and neat, shining with gilded trims and finely paved streets.  New automobiles sat next to many of the curbs - a symbol of status as the industrial age continued to enrich the wealthy and drain the poor.  Miku’s carriage was merely for show.

“Tonight you are a Cinderella, and when the clock strikes twelve, you will become a princess.”

Cinderella’s fairy godmother never turned mice into steel and gasoline.

Cinderella never planned to murder her Prince.

The carriage came to a stop as the first security checkpoint was reached.  Miku’s face eased into a happy smile as a soldier in a deep blue uniform approached her door.  “Miss, I must have your name and your papers.”

She pulled out the documents she needed – all of them forged, a fake title, a fake country.

“I’m the Countess Miku Hatsune of Marchenland.”

She could hear them mumbling to each other as they looked over each one.  “Travel papers issued… August 31st, 1914.  These are the most recent ones, right?”

“Indeed… here’s a copy, see?  They haven’t changed them in three weeks yet, must be a record.”

Having sorted it out, the guards allowed her carriage to progress.

As if waving a magic wand, Miku had been turned from the child of the cinders into a Countess.

To Miku’s surprise, the closer she got to the palace, the more her hands trembled.  She didn’t understand – was this _not_ what she’d been born to do?  Was this task not the price she was to pay to become Cinderella?

She tried to imagine her target.  She’d never met him of course – it was important that his murderer be a complete stranger.  The son of two monstrous tyrants, little was truly known about Prince Kaito of Estmarch.  While everyone knew his face thanks to the proliferation of royal portraits and propaganda for the Crown, he was yet to be regent and he played no role in the brutal politics.  Those who had lost hope of mercy from his parents had started to whisper hopes that perhaps this mysterious prince would be different, that he would turn his back on the wars of conquest.  Others held no such illusions – a child of tyrants would no doubt grow up to be a tyrant himself, and fear of the terrible reign of the Shion royals extending into another generation drove the violent rebellions sparking up across the country.

Miku wondered if she should try to think of him that way, until she remembered her training – there was to be no emotional attachment whatsoever.  No matter what sort of man Prince Kaito turned out to be, his fate was to be the same.

She rode into the second security checkpoint and again gave her practiced introduction.  Again, she waved through.  The child of a merchant, abandoned after his death to the whims of a stepmother and stepsiblings.  Miku was the embodiment of Cinderella’s humble upbringing.

She watched a few black, clattering cars get waved into the castle grounds and she knew she was close to the final checkpoint – and the palace gates.  She tried to steady herself, carefully adjusting the knife strapped to her upper right thigh underneath her skirt.  Her other thigh had just one other item, intended to help herself should her ability to escape become compromised.

She’d not yet killed a man – but she knew how.  She knew where every organ sat in the chest, where she would need to strike to do the greatest damage and ensure a swift, lethal wound.  The prince’s death was to be painful, brutal – but quiet.  A pistol would make too much noise, drawing attention before she had time to flee.  A knife through his back into his heart could ensure his quick, quiet death.

He would bleed out in her arms… she would rest the corpse amongst the roses… then she would cry out to ensure his body was discovered… and then she would disappear into the night…

Her carriage stopped for the final time.  Miku gathered her courage and presented a placid smile as she was announced.  “The Countess Miku Hatsune of Marchenland!”

Her glass slippers tapped against the marble floor as she descended from her carriage.

 

_“I'm called commonplace, an ordinary me. Predictable as, say, an old concerto piece. Keeping time though I'd much rather play it syncopated and guaranteed to give you harmony.”_

Miku’s guide led her across the ballroom.  A member of the conspiracy, but not one of her keepers.  She had yet to meet him until tonight, but knew him by the glass pin on his shirt and his white mask.  A tall older man with bright red hair and a goatee, wearing a luxurious greyish-purple suit with puffy pants and gold trim.  Tonio something.  He walked as if he felt everyone should treat him with respect.  But he wasn’t important.  All that mattered was that he would ensure she would easily meet her target.

_“But as long as you testify your love with fingers on the keys, so fast that it blurs my sight, then softly whispered words breezing in my ear become a song… A serenade to keep myself in check…”_

Miku’s eyes were drawn to the performer on the stage.  A brunette woman with a lovely bob haircut pinned back by a red rose, her glamorous sleeveless red gown trailed behind her as she held the microphone between silky black gloves.  Of course Miku knew her name – Meiko Sakine, the rising star of Nordland.  The song was familiar to Miku – she’d heard it on the radio enough times to recognize it being performed live.  Yet to see such a famous celebrity in the ballroom spoke of the prestige of Estmarch’s ruling house to attract her presence.

To perform for such notorious tyrants, rulers who no doubt had their greedy eyes on snatching her homeland for themselves in their next great conquest… was it a matter of pragmatism or sheer greed?

She watched a green-haired girl with a large camera snap a photo, a burst of light emitting from the bulb.  So there was press here…

“She’s the only photographer,” Tonio whispered quietly, “She arrived with Miss Sakine.  She is only permitted her camera for a few photos of the performance, and some publicity photos of her appearing with the royal family.”

Thus Miku could safely assume the Prince was not going to be chased around by a glory-seeking photographer.

More importantly, nobody would be taking _her_ photograph.

Not that it mattered.

Many of the nobles were wearing white masks like Tonio’s, their smiles feeling so insincere with their false smiles.  Miku knew not who her Godmother would be – someone to make sure her task was complete.  Maybe even the person who twisted fate into this deadly result. 

And finally, she caught sight of the man fate decreed would die at the stroke of midnight.

He was standing near the stage, surrounded by other nobles in masks but he himself was without one, allowing Miku to see his face.  His pure white suit and gloves reflected the gold trims along his sleeves, little bits of gold fringe, and deep blue cuffs at the ends of his long sleeves.  His deep blue ascot matched his short blue hair and his sapphire eyes, which remained wide and transfixed upon the singer.  His face wore a broad smile as he watched the show in front of him.

_“As our voices mingle, fusing with the night, echoing and dissipating… It'll be alright, even with acoustics in the walls.  Enjoy it, babe, we're doing nothing wrong…”_

As the song came to an end, the prince applauded much louder than the people around him.  Meiko looked down at him and blew him a kiss.  The young man blushed red and laughed nervously, but none of the nobles around him seemed to acknowledge it.  Were they afraid to?

Tonio lightly tapped Miku’s hand and led her through the small crowd as Meiko left the stage.  “Prince Kaito, I’d like to introduce you to the Countess Miku Hatsune of Marchenland.  I promise she’ll make a most interesting companion for you tonight!”

And then those blue eyes met Miku’s for the first time, his bright smile as light as a sunny day.  “Oh, hello miss.  Duke Tonio spoke so highly of you!  I certainly hope I can be good company for you this fine evening!”

Miku was surprised – that was rather humble.  “I hope I can do the same for you, my liege,” she replied, curtsying politely.

He would die at the stroke of midnight.  She needed only to keep his interest for three hours.

 

“So you must tell me more of Marchenland!”

The prince was holding a glass of champagne in his hands, though he wasn’t drinking out of it.  Miku held one of her own, watching the bubbles rise as she conceived of some false details of her supposed home.  A simple topic of conversation.

“The hills are quite spectacular in the summer, like ripples of green,” she said quietly, “I particularly like the freesia blossoms in the spring near the coast.”

“I see, I see…” Kaito said, nodding his head attentively, “I can only imagine how lovely the scents are…”

Miku tried to bury the memories of sleeping near the hearth, waking up covered in soot.

The prince stared out the open windows into the palace gardens.  “My grandmother’s favorite flower was the rose… so we’ve got plenty of them planted here in the palace.  I think she was a little sad she didn’t have a daughter to name her after the roses… and I guess my father should consider himself lucky she didn’t name him “Rose” anyway.”

Miku found herself chuckling at his little joke.  “Still, to see a field of flowers at the beaches… you must be quite lucky, Countess.”

“Oh, but doesn’t your family have a vacation palace in the Zellen Sea?  I’ve heard it’s quite lovely in summer…”

She knew about it because she’d heard people grumbling about such an extravagance while so many were starving.

Kaito suddenly took a quick gulp out of his champagne, causing Miku to raise an eyebrow at his odd behavior.  “Y…yes, you’re right, of course it is!” he said, trying to recover.

He seemed kind of air-headed.  He’d never see her coming.

 

“Ow.”

“Pardon my rudeness, your highness, but you seem to have eaten your ice cream too quickly.”

The Prince laughed as he rubbed his head, setting down his empty ice cream dish.  “I can’t help it… I’ve loved this since I was a child.”

Miku had eaten her dish much slower – savoring it in fact.  The last time she’d been allowed a treat like this, her father was still alive… they still had the means for a trip in the summer where she’d tried her first ice cream cone…

But of course, to Kaito, her slow eating was simply a sign of her polite manners.  “I wonder…” he murmured, “If it’s as easy for everyone in this kingdom to afford sweets…”

“My liege?”

Kaito looked away nervously.  “I’m sorry,” he said, “Such matters are probably not appropriate for a party…”

He noticed Miku’s slowly eaten ice cream.  “Ah, I’m even distracting you from your meal…”

“It’s good of you to care about them…” Miku whispered.

Kaito blinked in surprise.  “Of course I do!” he said, “They’re part of Estmarch too, right?  They deserve to live safely and in prosperity!”

‘Nobody can live like that with your parents still alive,’ Miku thought bitterly.

She began to wonder if that could happen with Kaito alive either… she wasn’t supposed to even think about things like this.  It didn’t matter who Kaito was or what he wanted or whether his life would impact anyone else’s.  His fate was to die and he would never impact anyone else after the clock struck twelve.

Kaito looked around carefully, but his personal bodyguard was keeping their distance.  He leaned in closer.   “Do the people of Marchenland live well?” he said quietly, “Are they taken care of?  Do they have enough to eat?  How have the wars impacted them?”

Miku hadn’t been prepared for a question like this.  She’d been trained for pleasantries, not politics.  Kaito’s own kingdom didn’t resemble the glamour of the party…

She began to imagine how she wished her own life had gone as she conjured up a story for him.  “It’s not always easy… but we try to look out for them.  We have programs to keep shelter for the less fortunate… we try and provide them means for employment… and we try to stay out of conflict so they need not die in war.”

A kingdom of her dreams.

“… we should be doing that everywhere in Estmarch…” Kaito said in an even lower voice.

“You’re the Prince… you can ensure that…” Miku began to say.

“I’m a glorified figurehead…” Kaito spat, “As if anyone would ever…”

He stopped short.  “I’m sorry for the unpleasantness…”

Miku stopped him.  “You care for them though… you won’t always be a Prince.  Someday Estmarch will belong to you and you can change things for the better.”

Another lie.  Kaito would never be King.  Because of Miku.

Because it was his fate.

But she found herself wanting him to feel better somehow… as if his mood was relevant…

As if she cared about what happened to him?

It did make him smile.  “I hope I can live up to such a lofty goal, but I intend to do whatever I must to make that happen.”

Kaito watched a waltz begin in the ballroom.  “Countess,” he said gently, “Let’s set this aside a moment.  Would you join me in a dance?”

As his gloved hand gently clutched Miku’s she felt her heart leap.

 

Miku twirled around along the dance floor, her glass slippers shining in the light as the waltz swelled around her and her charming dance partner.  Of course her training had included dancing – she was chosen to take the life of a noble, she would have to be able to impersonate one as well.

The Prince wasn’t half bad either.

“I hope Meiko sings again…” he sighed.

“So, my liege is a devoted fan?  Or does he wish to trade partners?”

Kaito looked worried until Miku laughed softly, causing him to blush as he realized she was merely joking.  Surely such casual teasing would have upset the other members of the aristocracy, but Kaito laughed lightly.  “Her music is quite the weakness of mine!  I’ve purchased all of her records… and I begged my parents to invite here to the ball tonight!  But it’s not just for my sake… Even having her here in Estmarch right now is a boon for us, given how difficult things have gotten with Nordland right now… I hoped it might smooth things over…”

‘Because your parents are planning for another war…’

She still didn’t know how this man could be so ignorant of the world, of the nature of the conflicts that ripped across the Uralian continent, wars that absorbed ever more territory into Estmarch’s borders.  She’d earlier chalked it up to him being callous or idiotic, but after his speech at dinner, it was obvious he had a more genuine interest in what happened around him.  Was someone keeping it all from him?

What did it matter?

“… I hope they’re treating her well… she seemed so kind when I met her tonight.”

He pulled his dance partner closer.  “I’m sorry, I should be paying you more attention… you’re a very patient young woman.”

Miku was just holding his attention, but hearing him speak to her with such unguarded trust…

‘No.  He’s going to die.  I’m going to kill him.  I can’t…’

“Is there anyone like that in Marchenland?”

“Oh… nobody like Meiko, my Prince,” Miku said softly.

Once she dreamed of being someone who could simply stand on stage and sing for fame and fortune… but that was not to be her fate either.  Hers was to be a Princess.  And for that, she was to kill a Prince.

Kaito drew her closer in their dance and she felt her heart pounding again.  This wasn’t what was supposed to happen… they’d told her she’d been cast free of her attachments… her emotions had been removed so she could be the perfect assassin…

But every moment she spent with Kaito, she kept feeling her training slip…

The clock outside chimed and Miku almost jumped.  “Oh, it’s already 10 o’clock!” Kaito said in wonder, “How the time flies…”

‘Two hours…’

She found herself pulling in closer to Kaito.  He didn’t stop her.  She tried not to imagine what it would feel like when his warmth faded, when his perfect white clothes were stained with blood…

 

“The truth is… I’ve only left these grounds a few times in my life…”

The prince leaned against a railing in front of an open balcony.  “Embarrassing, isn’t it?  The few times my parents have let me out, it’s always been for a carriage ride or some show appearance, like I’m a purebred hound they’re showing off… they want the people to know my face, but they won’t let me see them or speak to them…”

No, this wasn’t right… he wasn’t supposed to be like this… but her curiosity had overtaken her... she wanted to know more about him before she took his life in the next half hour…

“I’ve never wanted for anything, but I don’t understand how they expect me to rule a kingdom like this.”

Kaito looked out at the stars and suddenly Miku found herself wishing Kaito was a cruel person.  Or selfish.  Or even just willfully ignorant.

None of this was supposed to matter, but now she found in the heat of the moment that it _did_ matter.

“How have the Queen and King treated you?” she asked.

“They probably dote on me too much…” he said, “They say I have to stay in here to keep me safe.  Every now and then they tell me the rebels have assassinated another noble.  I… my mother has always been very attached to me.”

He rubbed a hand through his hair.  “It’s a bit overwhelming sometimes.  They believe so much in me… they’ve always had faith in me… as wretched as it is to be stuck on the grounds all the time, I know they would be heartbroken if I were dead.  They say the people of Estmarch would be, certainly, given how much our family has cared for them.”

So he was safely cocooned within lies. 

“Not that I would really know… they keep me out of politics as well… I don’t know how things really are out there.  Surely if there’s so many rebels, they can’t all be simply anarchists?”

And yet he seemed to keep questioning it… was he just old enough now to see the threads holding him fast?  If he were placed on the throne, would he try and tear everything apart?  Or would he find a comforting acceptance of the horrible status quo and let it all continue…

She cast her eyes across the ballroom.  She saw no familiar faces – but that was to be expected.  Her mentor would not be present at the ball, but a Godmother would be to supervise.  She wasn’t meant to know all the Godmothers… which meant _anyone_ could be the one to ensure she committed to her task.

She was supposed to get this close to him to enable his demise, but that was supposed to be all – a false closeness, a deception.  After the horrors she’d suffered to ensure she could shut her emotions off, why wasn’t any of it working now?!

Why was this Kaito’s fate?!

“You’ve been very kind to me,” Kaito said, and she found him turning a much softer smile at her.  “Even if it’s just an indulgence.”

“It’s not…” Miku whispered.

“Are you okay, Countess?” he asked.  She saw him so genuinely worried for her that she could barely speak over the lump in her throat.

“Y…your Highness…”

“’Kaito’ is fine,” he said in a much lower voice.

“M-Miku… I’m Miku…”

She felt her hands trembling.  “Marchenland isn’t rea-“

She thought she saw a white mask nearby and her pulse quickened…

“Marchenland isn’t really so wonderful…” she said, trying to calm herself, “I wish it could be, but there’s so much wrong in the world…”

“Miku, I feel like I barely know you…” Kaito said, “Why don’t you tell me a little more about yourself?  You’ve indulged me enough.”

He leaned back against the wall and Miku tried to stop the flood from coming out.  She wanted to lie and tell him about the glamorous life she’d wished for, of all the fantastic vacations she couldn’t have, of the warm soft beds and being surrounded by people who loved her…

“M-my mother was wonderful… she was so filled with love… my father said her body was just too weak to handle a heart as strong as hers…”

“When he remarried… my stepmother wasn’t really the same… and after he died…”

She collected her thoughts, she needed to maintain at least some of the lie.   “We didn’t get along.  Marchenland has fallen on very hard times after the Rose Wars, so we’ve sometimes done without, even in the estate.”

“You’ve even given up your luxuries for the sake of your people?”

‘What luxuries?!’

“I’ve survived, my prince.  We all have.  We do what we must to survive.”

“But you care for others, I see.  Even in such hardship, you try to find ways to let others survive.”

‘Except you.  _Except you._ ’

He was speaking so highly of virtues Miku did not possess.  She had become a lovely trap for an innocent soul to be devoured by.

He was right in front of her again and she wasn’t even aware of the dampness on her cheeks until he lightly brushed them away with his hands.  The warm fabric along her cheek, the comforting touch… she would never know this again…

She felt so cruel and selfish as she reached up and touched his hand for herself.  She pulled in closer… he was just as caught up in the moment as she was...

Their lips touched and Miku felt his warmth inside of her, trying to overpower the cold feelings she’d lived with for so long.  She tried to burn his gentle but assured touch into her mind, lest she forget how wonderful he was when he was gone… she rested her head on his chest and even found herself counting his final heartbeats…

As they parted, Miku glimpsed the wretched clock that counted down to his doom.

Ten minutes.  She needed to get him out of the crowd so she could perform her task in peace…

“Kaito…” she whispered, “I want to… I want to see the roses…”

To him it sounded like a mere innocent innuendo.

“Of course, Miku…” he said, and she spied a redness on his cheeks.

 

Miku followed Kaito gently as he led her into a beautiful arrangement of rose bushes, trellises, and a glimmering marble fountain.  “My grandmother put all of this in,” he said, “She saw the strength of roses as a symbol of Estmarch.”

Miku began to reach under her skirt, running her fingers along the hilt of the knife…

Kaito stared at them for a long moment.  “… They’re perfectly manicured. They’re contained.  They can’t grow how they wish… they can’t leave…”

‘Kaito, stop!  Kaito, please!’

“More than anything in my life, I wish… I wish I could leave… that I was free of all of this…”

What could she do?  This was his fate!

This… was her fate as well.

Miku had been born to kill a prince.  A kind, trapped Prince who had never hurt anyone.  Her entire life, up to this moment, had placed her in the Prince’s garden with a knife to plunge into his heart.

She heard the first bell toll.

How could she change fate?!  One of the masked people would see her, and they’d kill her.  They’d kill him as well, and then she’d die for nothing.

The second bell tolled.

She never wanted to be a Princess like this.  What did it even mean to someone like her now, after everything that had been done to make her this way?!

The third bell tolled.

“I… I wish I could be free too…” she said quietly as she reached under her skirt.

The fourth bell tolled.

Miku began to undo the stocking on her upper left thigh…

The fifth bell tolled.

Kaito still had his back to her… he would never know…

The sixth bell tolled as Miku made a choice.

And steeled her heart.

 

As the seventh bell tolled, Kaito turned to see Miku standing right next to him.  She was so different from anyone he’d met, someone who genuinely spoke to him and listened to him… did she even care about his station?

As the eighth bell tolled, he found her so beautiful standing in front of the stained glass window depicted the famed Estmarch rose, the moon shining behind it casting a veil of red light against her pure white clothes.  She easily slid into his embrace again.  She seemed so sad… he wanted to take that sadness away for her… didn’t a prince have the power to do that?

As the ninth bell tolled, he worried that this night would be their only night together.  Tonio had assured him the Countess had been selected especially for him but… if his parents found her wanting… this would end immediately.  If that was the case, then he wanted to remember every moment he had of his infatuation…

As the tenth bell tolled, he pulled back.  “Miku… I love you…” he said.  It felt so impulsive to make such a declaration so swiftly… but it made him feel so much stronger to make such a strong vow, without anyone to stop him…

As the eleventh bell tolled, he looked into her beautiful green eyes, like the fields of the Marchenland where she hailed, hints of tears forming in the corner of her eyes as she whispered back “I love you too...”

Upon the last bell of midnight, he gasped as he felt the knife pierce his back.

He stared at Miku in horror, watching the tears fall down her cheeks as his body grew weak from the deep, fatal wound.

Why?  Had it all been a lie?  Every word, every story?  All that patience for him… lies to build up to this moment…

A princess who wore gunpowder smoke for perfume…

He tried to speak but his words slurred as he collapsed to the ground.  His last thought as he felt the icy embrace of death claiming him was despair that he would die inside the false safety of his gilded cage…

“THE PRINCE HAS BEEN MURDERED!  THE PRINCE HAS BEEN MURDERED!”

The ballroom shook with panic as the news hit, shouted out by a green-haired girl as she clambered to escape.

Chaos consumed the castle as gunfire rang within the halls.  “Estmarch, the son of your tyrants is fallen!  When the sun rises, an Emerald Dawn shall usher our country into a new age!”

The hail of bullets claimed many lives… a fire broke out as the palace guards struggled to keep back the rebels, but with the death of their beloved prince, morale rapidly collapsed.  The idea of the royal family as fallible created even more panic amongst the assembled guests, leaving them simply trying to escape with their lives.

The prince’s body lay where it fell, soaked with his blood.  The murder weapon had been taken away by its keeper.  In spite of how violent his death must have been, the murderer had gently rested him amongst the roses before fleeing.

After confirming his demise, the guilty parties slipped into the chaos to prevent being easily captured.  There was much left to arrange for as they tried to join the grapple for power.

It wasn’t until the sun rose that the castle was calm again… and someone entered the garden to collect the fallen prince for some kind of proper funeral.

Only to find the corpse missing from its bed of roses.

All that remained in its place was a single glass slipper…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Birthday, my dear precious Kaito!  Please don't hold the stab wound against me!
> 
> Ha ha, yea, I didn’t mean to basically go a whole year between stories, but what a year 2016 was.  What a… frickin… awesome… year.
> 
> *shakes fist*  
>   
> But that is neither here nor there.  I am getting another story out, that’s what matters, right?  I’m now living in Canada and I have a regular job again, so that gives me dedicated writing time for the first time in a while.  It’s fun and weird.
> 
> So I… uh… really don’t want to talk very much about the story.  Because it’s not often I open the whole thing on a hardcore cliffhanger.  And talking about it too much gives the game away?  I mean I suppose certain things are more obvious given that this story is clearly intended to have more characters in it than the ones that appeared here.  But I always said I would hold off on a Cinderella story because of the “Cendrillon” song, and I would only do it if I had something else to say.  And… I did this time.
> 
> The setting I picked is largely based around the time period of World War I, with the major technological anachronism being the more advanced radio technology.  This is straight up my first non-fantasy story – there is no magic, no curse, no fairies.  Some of the themes of the story are more timely than intended – I started writing it back in early 2016 and let the first part and part of the second chapter sit and stew.  But with our world becoming a more terrifying place… suddenly this story leapt to the front of my queue.  I had to deal with the emotions, and I think it will become apparent what they are.  But I do promise to keep, ah, certain current events clamped down if I can, if only because I know people read fanfiction to escape the world, not drown in it.
> 
> My plans for the update schedule at the moment are every other week.  Not that awesome weekly schedule I used to have, but this story isn’t quite as far along as, say, Broken Wings.  Update Day is Friday, Eastern Time, just to make things more doable for me.  The next chapter will be up on 3/3/2017.  I hope the slow releases aren’t too painful for everyone, but I can promise the future chapters are my typical monster chapters so maybe that can make up for it XD
> 
> The only song this chapter is Meiko’s “[Piano x Forte x Scandal](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJgw3V__3sA),” and Meiko’s dress is pulled from a piece of art by [熾 on Pixiv](http://www.pixiv.net/member_illust.php?mode=medium&illust_id=23387589).   Cendrillon’s lyrics are being broken up across chapter titles, and other references to the song are scattered throughout the first chapter.  The title itself is pulled directly from a song lyric, which Kaito quotes to himself – “A princess who wears gunpowder smoke as perfume.”


	2. Deceitful Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Miku has made her choice - to change fate. But is she powerful enough to overcome the consequences?

 

“Gakupo, wake up!  There’s someone at the door!” a girl’s voice shouted.

“Mmm…” he mumbled, still in the thrall of a pleasant dream, “But we’re having such a wonderful date together!”

The purple haired man suddenly found himself tossed out of the lower level of his bunk bed when the sheets were roughly tugged from him, leading to a hard landing on the floor below as his loose hair spilled around him. 

“Ah Rin!  I was dreaming I was about to kiss a woman with the loveliest brown eyes…” he muttered.

But the blonde-haired girl responsible for his predicament stomped her bare foot on the floor, shaking her long white night gown from the force.  “GAKUPO!  What if it’s an emergency!?”

Indeed, the loud pounding knocks from the front door seemed to indicate as much.  Gakupo stood up and dusted himself off from his rough awakening, throwing a pair of brown pants on under his pajama shirt to at least try to look respectable.  He waved Rin as he left to greet whoever was calling on him at such a late hour.  “Go ahead and get prepped in case its serious… at this hour, it usually is…”

He glanced at the clock on his wall – it was already 3 am…

He tucked his shirt into his baggy pants as he wandered out of his bedroom, the sleep still dragging at his vision.  He slipped on a pair of black shoes, thinking momentarily of brewing a pot of coffee on the stove as the knocking continued.  “I’m coming, don’t you worry!” he shouted, interrupted by a powerful yawn.

Passing through his small operating room, he quickly eyed the tools – everything in its place.

Finally, he made it into the shabby kitchen – miraculously clean today.  Well, not really a “miracle” given that Rin usually did that herself, when she wasn’t making Gakupo help her out.  Housework was often a low priority for him… outside of the surgery of course, where the slightest contamination could cause infection.  That he maintained with rigorous devotion.

As he opened the door, he saw a curious sight.  A young pigtailed girl in a fancy white dress, with splotches of blood across the front, a single glass shoe on her right foot.  In her arms she held an unconscious man with blue hair, clutching him tightly as she tried to keep him propped up.

“Please… he… he needs help… he was nearly murdered… he’ll die… You’re supposed to be the greatest surgeon in Estmarch…”

Gakupo took one look at the blood seeping from the wound on his back and staining her dress… and the panicked but lovely eyes of the girl begging him for aid.  “To the operating room!”

 

He laid his new intake down on his stomach, quickly pulling off the young man’s shirt and jacket as he gawked at the deep knife wound.  Given the location, he would have expected the attacker would have punctured one of his organs… and the stillness of the patient’s body only seemed to confirm that to the doctor.

“Miss… I doubt he’s alive…”

He couldn’t see any signs of breathing either…

“He won’t die, not know… he’s… asleep…”

She sat in a well-worn red chair, fingering a small, empty glass vial.  Frankly, he would have expected greater alarm from the poor girl, but perhaps it was just shock?  That must have been what left her in such an obvious state of denial… she didn’t even seem to notice her one bare foot…

Gakupo carefully touched the man’s neck, trying to feel for a pulse.  Nothing.  He pulled out a stethoscope, only to confirm the lack of a beating heart.  “I’m sorry… there’s no vitals…”

The girl bit her lip, her fingers tightening around the vial.  “There won’t be.  But I assure you, he’s alive.  Listen very closely.”

‘Madness!’ Gakupo thought to himself, but he kept the stethoscope close.

Until he heard it… the faintest beating.  Weak, but steady.  And just so faintly, he could hear air moving through the lungs unencumbered.

“… he won’t survive when the poison wears off if you don’t patch up that wound.”

Gakupo shuddered at how calm and impersonal the girl spoke of a critical wound.  But if this man had been given some kind of toxin to induce a deathlike slumber, he could likely survive an otherwise fatal wound long enough for medical treatment…

He worried over why she had this man, why he was in this state, and what was going to happen to him even if he survived…

“Nurse, bring my scrubs!  And get this young lady a clean change of clothes!”

But none of it mattered at the moment – his duty was to his patient.  Rin ran into the operating room, carrying Gakupo’s surgical clothes.  Her long white nurses’ uniform and mask covered up much of her appearance, and now Gakupo was beginning to suspect the concealment of her identity was a necessity.  It only took a few moments for him to get his scrubs on over his street clothes and to pull back his lengthy hair into a more manageable ponytail. 

“We’ll need to stem the bleeding first… he seems to have lost a great deal of blood already, so he’ll need a transfusion when we get that contained as well…”

“I don’t know his blood type,” the girl murmured.

Gakupo laughed.  “That’s fine, I can handle it,” he said as he started to pull out a needle and surgical thread.  “Lucky me, I’m Type O, and I haven’t had to give blood in months.  Rin, can you get the x-ray machine over here?  We need to estimate the depth of the puncture!”

He grabbed for a sterile solution and began to flush out the wound.  In spite of the blood loss, it seemed peculiarly shallow so far.  The wound was surprisingly free of debris, and he didn’t appear to have any other stab wounds along his body. 

“Here Miss… these are baggy on me, they might fit you all right.”

The girl nodded to his nurse, taking the clothes and departing the operating room. 

 

Rin walked over to the table as Gakupo cut off and tied the stitches on his patient’s back.  There was nothing left for him to do but sew up the wound now that the bleeding had stopped.  According to the x-ray they’d taken, the wound was surprisingly shallow and precise, missing his organs.  As if the attacker hadn’t _wanted_ to kill him.

“… she has to be one of them…” Rin whispered, “We had all kinds of poisons and toxins we could use… we’d use lysindera meliandra if we thought we were going to get caught and needed to fake out the pursuers…”

He could hear fear in the girl’s voice as she spoke.

“Don’t let that mask slip and you’ll be okay.”

Already Rin was getting together the supplies Gakupo would need for the blood transfusion.  “What’s your read on it?  It seems pretty obvious to me how this happened…”

Rin traced her fingers along the metal table.  “Maybe this _is_ part of their plan… or… maybe… maybe she…”

Suddenly she let out a gasp.  “Gakupo, his face!  Don’t you know who that is?!”

Gakupo tied off the fresh stitches and moved over to Rin’s side of the table.  “Oh my!  You know, I was so busy trying to get him prepped that I didn’t even take a good look at him!”

The sound of a radio being turned on filled the surgery and interrupted Gakupo’s speech.

“… fire out of the castle!  The gunfire is still going on!  We’ve yet to confirm whether our glorious King and Queen have survived, but all we know is that Prince Kaito is confirmed dead by the rebels!”

The panic of the radio announcer continued as the pigtailed girl stood next to the device, her hand on the receiver, dressed in the simple black dress Rin had provided for her.

“… the Emerald Dawn is locking down the palace… communications are likely next… people of Estmarch, you must resist!  You must not let madness overtake us!”

Gakupo rolled one of his sleeves up, puncturing his arm with a needle already attached to his patient, watching the red line of blood flow through the plastic tube and into his patient.

“Why did you come to _me_?” he finally asked.

The girl turned off the radio.  “You were a young, gifted surgeon, so famous you even treated the royal family.  But then you disappeared, vanishing into the slums after losing a patient… they said you were consumed with guilt.”

She looked over to him, but he saw no malice in her eyes.  Those eyes looked entirely too familiar though.  He’d seen them _that night_ three years ago, when he’d first met his nurse.  For a brief moment, he wondered if she recognized Rin even with the mask on, but she didn’t seem to have connected the two of them.

Gakupo looked his patient over as the IV continued to run.  “Well, he’s fairly close to death I’d say… after all he lost quite a lot of blood…”

He watched the girl out of the corner of his eye.  This was a little cruel, but he wanted to see how she’d react.  He needed to confirm something. 

Upon his words, her solid expression crumbled, her eyes just barely brimming with tears.  “No… it… it shouldn’t be that deep… he should be able to pull through… he needs to survive… he _has_ to survive!”

Seeing her getting scared for the Prince’s life… that was all Gakupo wanted to see.  “Well, don’t worry!  I have really strong blood, it should get him up and about in no time!”

Rin rolled her eyes and groaned.  “Gakupo, that’s a pint!  We need to stop it!”

Gakupo quickly stopped the blood flow as Rin took his IV out.  Applying pressure to the IV site with his fingertips, he grabbed for gauze for both himself and the patient.

“Where do you intend to go from here, young lady?”

The girl gripped her arms.  “As far as I can… before they realize what I’ve done.”

She looked at Gakupo, her eyes filled with sadness.  “I’m sorry, they might chase me here… I can’t tell you what I plan to do.  The less you know, the better.”

He’d heard _that_ before.

And he really couldn’t ignore the plight of someone with such pretty eyes.

 

“You’re certain there’s nothing more I can do for you?”

Gakupo watched the girl in front of him as she tried to keep the unconscious Prince steady in her arms.  Rin stood at his side, her mask off – clearly by now she felt comfortable that their strange guest was not her enemy.  The prince’s fineries had already been stripped from him – Gakupo tossing the bloodied clothes in the incinerator along with the girl’s.  Gakupo’s spare clothes hung rather loosely on him given the difference in height, but they would do.  He would blend in.

“No.  Like I said, it’s best that you help me as little as possible.  If someone asks, say I threatened you.”

Gakupo watched the sun beginning to peek over the horizon as the girl hobbled around trying to keep her “load” steady.  “At least take the car.”

“G-Gakupo!  We NEED that car!” Rin protested.

“I can’t take something so valuable…” the girl started to say.

“Hey now, I can’t very well let such a lovely young lady carry off a patient who needs to stay stable for the next few days!”

He heard another annoyed sigh from Rin, but she seemed to have already resigned herself to whatever Gakupo had decided.  “Besides, if you steal my car, it’s a more convincing cover!”

The girl seemed to accept his wisdom as Gakupo grabbed the ignition keys from the hook.  “Just turn it into the start position and give it a few good cranks and it’ll go just fine.  There’s usually no traffic but…”

Their conversation ceased as the sounds of gunfire started off in the distance.  “Come on, I’ll help you load him up!”

The small, rickety vehicle barely had enough room for two, but the girl was able to lay the Prince along the backseat.  She quickly tossed a blanket over him entirely.  Gakupo grabbed the long crank and inserted it into the motor, giving it a few turns until he heard the motor sputter to life.

The girl gripped the wheel tightly as she stared out at the road ahead.  She finally looked back to Gakupo and he winked at her.  “I wish you luck on your journey!  But I do at least wish to know your name before you leave.”

She looked away from him.  “Miku.  I’m Miku.  And I’m sorry.”

He watched as Miku pulled out of the small garage and drove off into the streets.  He realized he’d never asked for her name – all he’d focused on was saving the life of the boy, and ensuring she got out safely.  Soon the car was out of sight.

“She’s running away from them…” Rin said behind him.

Gakupo turned and saw his nurse had tears in her eyes.  “They’re never going to stop chasing her…”

“Oh stop that, she seems pretty clever.  It wasn’t that hard to get them off of you, was it?!”

She had her hands clutched close together.  “They… they’ll probably come here, Gakupo… what if they recognize me?”

He didn’t like to see her cry… Rin had gotten so strong since she’d started living with him, but there was only one thing that ever frightened her.  Going back.

“You know, I think things here in Vedunia are going to be a bit difficult... so… we should take this practice on the road!”

Rin sniffled.  “But that girl just took the car!  How are you going to…”

Gakupo let out a booming laugh.  “That would have been a lousy operating room!  Here, we’ll just get all my tools together… and…”

He thought of something to try and get Rin’s courage up.  “We always said someday we’d go and search for your family, right?  Well, no time like the present!”

Rin started to smile.  “Well, I’d better go with you, you’re kind of hopeless on your own anyway.”

“Ahhh, what’s all this?!  I’ve taken care of you all these years!”

She stuck her tongue out at him.  “If it weren’t for me, you’d never get out of bed in the morning!  Or wash your dishes or laundry… or you’d burn the house down trying to cook for yourself…”

Gakupo let out a frustrated sigh.  “Oh, here I go cheering you up and you just unload on me!”

The two laughed together before the gunfire started up again.  It still sounded far away… they still had time to pack and try and get a train out of town before the Emerald Dawn seized the railways…

 

Kaito felt a soft bed underneath him… warm sheets around his body…

He tried to speak but his tongue slurred the words… he was barely cognizant of what was around him…

‘I died… I remember dying… is this the afterlife?’

Kaito finally managed to open his eyes.  His vision was still blurry but he could hear voices nearby.  He strained to hear them.

“… the best we can do for him…” “… I’ll make sure your family is safe…”

Just snatches of conversation.  Kaito thought he’d heard both voices before.  Then… he wasn’t dead.

He saw the door open and his foggy vision could barely make out the sight of a brown-haired man in a black suit, white shirt, and blue tie entering his room.  “Oh my… I think he’s awake!”

As the man grew closer, Kaito could see his reflection in the man’s thin glasses.  He tried to speak again, but the words just wouldn’t come together.  “Then the toxin is finally wearing off… good.”

Kaito tried to move his eyes to see the female speaking to him, but he couldn’t quite turn his head yet.  “Kaito… don’t force it right now… you’re still going to be very weak.  You’re in Liesenfall now.”

Her voice sounded so reassuring right now after his ordeal.  “Just rest… nothing will happen to you here…”

He wanted to believe her even as he let his exhaustion pull him back into darkness…

 

Miku sat in a worn chestnut chair, observing the prince for any signs of his eventual awakening.  She’d changed from the simple clothes she’d received from the doctor and now wore a grey and black vest over a white blouse, a calf-length black skirt, black stockings, and tall black boots.  A green bow was tied around her neck.  She’d wanted to grab a pair of trousers instead of the skirt, but as it was she was borrowing clothes worn by her host’s late wife and apparently, the lady of the house hadn’t possessed any that fit. 

The prince’s first awakening had been a good sign – he wasn’t in a coma.  The toxin she’d given him worked so much faster when applied in her…unique… manner.  She’d worried that it might cause permanent damage to him. 

If they had to keep fleeing Estmarch to stay ahead of his enemies, he would need to be able to support himself.

Because of her.

She reflected on her flight into Liesenfall as the Emerald Dawn rapidly closed off the capital.  She later learned that a blockade had been set up – and trains out of Vedunia had closed within hours after the announcement of the coup.  But their occupation of Estmarch was slow in the two days since - many factions of the military held no loyalty to them.  Liesenfall was one such city that had yet to convert, but like many of the remaining cities, everyone sat on tenterhooks waiting for any scrap of news over who would rule them.  The current monarchy had hardly been kind, but the coup appeared no better yet…

She heard Kaito moaning and tried to steady her hands.  She didn’t know how he was going to react… to his lost time… to his lost home… his lost life…

To breaking his heart…

The second his eyes opened and he saw Miku, she saw his face contort in terror.  He tried to push himself backwards on the bed.  “Get… get away from me!”

Miku tried to brace herself.  “Kaito…”

She had no right to call him that.

“Your Highness, please… let me explain…”

“There’s nothing to explain!  You tried to kill me!  What more do you want?!”

Unfortunately for Kaito, if he planned on bolting out the door, Miku was sitting right next to it.   He seemed to recognize this as his panicked eyes darted in the direction of the only exit, before returning to Miku.  She tried to gather her thoughts, but somehow every word of the speeches she’d practiced seemed to slip away.  Miku had never been prepared for actual social situations, especially not awkward ones like this.

“I brought you to safety, Prince.  You’re amongst a supporter of the royal family.”

Kaito winced as he wiggled around enough that Miku suspected he’d pulled at one of the muscles still healing from his wound.  “Please, Prince!  You’re still healing!  Be careful, you can’t let your stitches come undone!”

“… I’m only injured because of _you!_ ”

His fear began to devolve into anger… he would appear to be even harder to reason with.  “You must listen to me… you’ve been asleep for two days.  You’re in the town of Liesenfall.  The Emerald Dawn has conquered the capital, your home isn’t safe.”

“Emerald… Dawn?  Conquered?  What are you talking about?”

Kaito seemed to be calming down enough to at least _listen_ to her.  With great sadness, Miku began to explain the events since the night of the ill-fated ball.  How she’d tipped her murderous dagger with a toxin that would force his body into a deathlike coma, delivering a wound that to an untrained observer would appear fatal.  How she’d carefully concealed herself until the right moment and stolen him away, in such haste that she’d lost one of her shoes.

She told him of the rise of the Emerald Dawn who declared themselves the lords of Estmarch in place of the corrupt tyrants they’d deposed, using the apparent death of Estmarch’s only heir as a symbol of their power.

“And you helped them…” he accused.

His voice sounded so cold.

“I wasn’t… I didn’t work for them…”

Miku didn’t even know how to properly explain her own role.  He was right, wasn’t he?  Even if she’d saved his life, her actions had let the current wave of rebellion turn to violence, had they not?  It didn't matter who she worked for, did it?

“I was… I was brought to the castle to… to kill you… but I…”

She had to fight to keep speaking through the guilt and shame building up inside of her.

“…I refused.  I… I couldn’t… I couldn’t kill you.  I chose to save you.  I didn't have any other way to get you out of the castle but to tip my dagger with a sleeping toxin, there were conspirators everywhere!  Please understand that… whatever you may think of me, I am trying to keep you alive.”

The Prince stayed silent, but he refused to look at her.  “… Do my parents still live?”

“Yes, Your Highness.  As far as we know, they escaped the fall of the capital, but nobody knows where they went to after that.”

The prince looked somewhat relieved at that news.

“Good… You may leave.”

Miku remained in her place.  “My Lord, Liesenfall will not be safe for long.  The Emerald Dawn approaches…”

“What concern is it of yours?”

His cold clipped words cut into her heart.

“There will be others seeking you out.  For the time being, news of your death is being used for them to retain power.  If you were found to be alive and amongst supporters of House Shion… It would be most inconvenient.”

Already, Miku’s tactical mind wandered to her former superiors.  “I've already betrayed my organization… So they'll be sending someone higher up to track you and do my job instead.”

She tried to guess who might come, but by design the “Cinderellas” were largely isolated.  Miku could only identify a few by their faces.  Given the chaos, they’d probably send whoever was closest to the capital… she’d been lucky in that her betrayal in the middle of a coup would have put her out of sight of whomever was sent to monitor her, but…

“I'll see to it that you’re escorted safely to-“

“Don't you understand that I want nothing more to do with you?!  How can I possibly trust anything you say to me after what you've done?!”

The prince’s angry outburst silenced Miku entirely.  She tried to speak again, but his furious glare kept robbing her of her voice.  The opportunity for any more words ended as the lord of the house came running through the doorway.  “Are you finally awake, my honored guest?”

 

Kaito vaguely recalled this man’s face from before, as he’d briefly awakened during his long slumber.  “You… You were in the palace only a month ago… Lord Mayor Kiyoteru Hiyama?”

The young man bowed his head in respect.  “I'm pleased that you remember me!”

His cheerful smile hardly fit the somber mood.  Kaito’s eyes darted back to the chair where Miku had been sitting… she was already gone.

‘Good.’

She’d made a fool of him.  Getting so close to him with lies and promises, with sweet embraces and kisses, conning him into confessing his deepest feelings… and he’d so easily fallen for it…

Fallen in love…

How could he have been so blind?!  Of course, a stranger wouldn’t have the patience for his prattling on unless she wanted something.  He’d always been warned this was the way of the world… perhaps his parents were right about this…

Whatever she stood to gain from faking his death… it didn’t matter.  He wouldn’t let her near again.

Kiyoteru finally noticed Kaito’s eyes focused on where Miku had been sitting only moments ago.“Oh, the young lady?” Kiyoteru’s smile seemed to fade as he spoke of her.  “She’s a strange one… I’ve never met her in my life, but somehow she seemed to suspect my allegiances were closer to the Crown than the Emerald Dawn.  Quite fortunate for you given the poor shape you were in upon your arrival.  I must say everyone here in Liesenfall was quite shaken to hear the news of your death.  Would that I could spread the word of your fortunate survival, but I don’t entirely trust that the people who did this to you aren’t already closing in to finish the job.”

‘Of course, she wouldn’t have been mad enough to tell him that she was the one who tried to kill me in the first place.’

The prince had half a mind to blow her cover lest she be plotting another assault on him or worse.  He ran his hands along the bandages under his loose white shirt.  “Did you ensure I had medical treatment as well?”

Kiyoteru shook his head.  “You were already bandaged up when you got here… your… er… escort… had already taken you to a surgeon before you left Vedunia.”

‘So… she was thorough…’

His thoughts of exposing her subsided.  Even if he didn’t trust her or want her in his presence, she _had_ appeared to have taken care of him.  He owed her that much gratitude…

The weight of everything happening around him began to press against Kaito’s thoughts.  His family was missing, and likely running for their lives as these mysterious revolutionaries pursued the three of them.  There was no way for him to report his survival to them.  His home was under siege, and the people responsible had already made one devious attempt on his life.

Where would he go?

What did he intend to do?

What did being a Prince even mean with no castle or crown?

“My liege… I can give you what hospitality within my means but… unfortunately, I’ve no idea how long Liesenfall is safe for you,” Kiyoteru said, “I’ll give you some time to adjust and plan for your next move.   If you’ve need of anything, I’ll see what I can provide.”

Kaito nodded his head – he’d never felt so vulnerable in his life.  “Thank you…”

As his silence remained, Kiyoteru coughed and left the prince entirely to himself.

 

Miku wandered through the manor in a daze.  She couldn't very well go outside, she couldn't chance being seen by an agent of the Godmothers.  ‘But I can't stay here very long either… Or I'll bring all this danger to him as well…’

Her ‘host’ hadn't been entirely willing.  He seemed to have suspicions about her true purpose. So she ended letting him keep them – as long as it gave Kaito enough safety to recuperate, she didn't care what the Lord Mayor thought of her.

As for Kaito…

For a moment, she could only think of the brief evening they shared where she'd transformed into the Countess of Marchenland and romanced a charming Prince…

Her hands trembled as she reconciled his kindness with his wrath…

‘He's right to be angry… I stole his heart… Whether I saved him or not, I cost him everything…’

She couldn't deny the strength of her emotions that night that brought her down this dangerous path, and she’d known the second she’d chosen to save Kaito’s life, she’d lose his love in return.  So what was next for her?  She couldn't expect him to ever trust her again… And there was no doubt that her former masters would try and rectify his unplanned survival….

“Nanny Teto, Nanny Teto!  Where are you?!”

Miku stopped her rumination as a small child in a frilly red dress slammed into her.  The little girl barely appeared older than 6, her black hair tied into a pair of tiny pigtails.  “Oh, sorry miss!  Oh… are you a new nanny?”

Before Miku could say anything, the girl looked her over and frowned.  “Did Nanny Teto leave?  Everyone’s leaving the house now… Daddy said something bad is happening outside and now everyone is going away…”

A war… a war that Miku had caused to happen…

“I’m sorry…” she whispered as she slipped past her, the guilt eating away at her…  She wanted to be anywhere else right now, and Kaito was already done with her… She didn’t even want to exist anymore…  She brushed past a woman with bright red hair and curly pigtails without even excusing herself…

 

Kaito slipped the hood of a long white jacket over his head.  It wasn’t a fantastic disguise… but it would do.  Hiding out in this house would drive him mad, and he still couldn’t be certain he was safe.  He needed to get outside.  He tugged a long blue scarf up to cover the bottom of his face… he was finally concealed.

It might be selfish, but as the time passed, he started to realize there was a slight upside to his difficult situation.  He wasn’t being kept in the castle anymore.  He knew nothing of the world outside, and now it was waiting for him.

He left a note on his bed for his current host, apologizing for his abrupt departure.  It was the least he could do.

And with that, Kaito tugged the hood down one more time and tried to sneak through the manor’s halls.  He’d expected he’d have to duck out on a great deal of servants – surely a Lord Mayor would have many – but to Kaito’s surprise there was a distinct lack of staff.  ‘Does he even have a single maid?’ Kaito thought to himself, ‘He couldn’t possibly be dusting this himself…’

Before Kaito made it to the front door, his solo journey was interrupted.  A woman with two curly ponytails in a simple black dress and white apron marched out of the kitchen.  She looked him over with surprise.  “I’m sorry… are you a new staff member?”

Kaito fumbled for a response.  “I… no, I’m just… a… a…”

He tried to pull out some kind of lame answer.  “Just a courier… miss!  I’ve already delivered my message and I’m on my way out!”

Kaito finally took notice of another person with this young lady who’d so embarrassed him – a young girl, who could be no older than 6, her hand tightly clutching what Kaito seemed to finally realize was her nanny.  Despite her bright clothes, her personality seemed strangely somber and withdrawn.  “Oh… is there something wrong, miss?” he said to her.

The girl remained silent before the nanny spoke up.  “Lady Yuki’s health is not what it used to be… this awful air in the house is sapping her strength.  The two of us are taking a long walk outside so she can recover.”

“Oh!  Well… I shouldn’t delay you any further, should I?”

He bowed formally to the nanny and her charge, only to receive a giggle in return.  The prince’s cheeks flushed red.  “I’ve never seen so proper a courier!”

Kaito brushed past the two of them, trying to contain his embarrassment as he slipped into the crowds.

 

In spite of the rough start to his excursion, the sensation of being surrounded by people began to invigorate the prince as he wandered aimlessly.  His first trip to a market was full of wonders!  Where he’d grown up he was simply given anything he wanted, but here he spied one strange thing after another that tickled his fancy!  ‘Ah, if only my parents had taken me through one of these places before!’ he thought enviously, imagining riding home in a carriage filled with a day’s trinkets and treasures, ‘Liesenfall is filled with wonders!’

The scent of fresh pastries lured him past a bakery, simple in comparison to the lavish kitchen of his castle but there was something exciting about watching the staff inside scurry around and pop out bread and cakes as customers flooded the streets.  The sweets were nowhere near as grand, but now Kaito found himself wishing he had some kind of coin to buy a sweet roll for himself…

‘Maybe I was wrong?  There seems to be plenty of nice food here… and plenty of customers… My parents could have been right all along…’

He heard the sound of bells and his wanderlust drew him towards an old, elaborate church, his heart beginning to lighten as he let the rush of people draw him into their lively flow…

 

Miku felt herself swallowed up in the crowds.  Who could she trust?  Who could help her?  Was she being followed?  
  
If that was the case, she needed to run… far… far from Kaito…

‘But if _he’s_ being followed…’

She almost stopped walking right there.  Being so out of sorts… this wasn’t normal for her.    She was supposed to be a focused assassin.

‘But I’m not… I didn’t make my first kill.  I didn’t hide my true self…’

She ducked back and watched as some of the townsfolk began to approach the church.  Their shabby clothes, rags, and dirt.  So many children looking run down, reaching for the meager food hand outs.

‘Even Liesenfall is filled with misery.’

For a moment, Miku could recall the cold floors as she clutched at an empty belly and she began to banish that memory again.  She tried to get a better look at the children – from the condition of their clothes, she doubted they were refugees.  These were normal orphans.

All the church was providing was bread.  She looked the priests over next  - none of  them seemed terribly well fed either, though they seemed like they were in better shape than some of the children.  Miku began to close in… she had to know what the situation was…

“… if only we had more room…”

“The Lord Mayor already sold off more of his family heirlooms to secure another shipment of building materials.  Hopefully the coup doesn’t cut off the delivery before we can build shelter for the winter.”

“The poor souls…”

‘So they’re trying… they’re just overwhelmed.’

She melted away from the crowd.  If there were people in flight from the coup, she could always pretend to be one of them.  ‘Heh… what pretending?  I can’t go back to the godmothers anyway.’

She could imagine the stern face of the woman who gave her the order.  The sweet promises that would make all her years of suffering worth it.  The trials, the cold, the whippings… every moment of it to allow her to become a Cinderella and claim her rightful place.

Now that was gone.  But she did have one thing to show for it – Kaito was alive.  She had changed his fate.

Miku’s feet wandered as she started to follow the crowds again, trying to figure out which fate would be hers.

 

Kaito followed the shabby looking children in curiosity.  He wanted to know how they came to be this way.  As he moved further through the district, he started to notice the finally trimmed bricks vanishing, the structures turning to decaying wood.  The streets lost their cobblestones, becoming nothing more than dirt.  He could hear the train whistle in the distance and looked up to see the tracks were cared for but the area around them much less so.

And that was when he started to find the fraying tents.  He watched the children scatter with their bread.  One of them snapped her loaf in half and shared it with an older man covered in bandages, who looked like he could barely make the journey ten meters let alone all the way to the church.

‘What is going on here!?’

How could anyone live like this?  No roofs, no walls?  Surely with the encroachment of winter they would freeze?!

He leaned back against a dirty brick wall taking it in.  The few adults around barely looked nourished themselves.  Many of the men were missing limbs.

‘This must be… temporary… this must be because of the coup!  This can’t be…’

Certainly he’d entertained the idea that his parents were deceiving him about the state of his kingdom, but… no, surely it was a mistake.  They must not know.  So much of Liesenfall was beautiful and plentiful…

He felt a hand on his shoulder and jerked his head up.  It was Kiyoteru, his eyes panicked.  “You shouldn’t be out like this!” he scolded, “You’re supposed to be _dead!_ ”

Kaito fumbled for a response.  “How did you find me?”

The Lord Mayor tugged at Kaito’s blue scarf.  “That was a Christmas gift from my late aunt.  I’d recognize it anywhere!”

Kaito’s eyes wandered behind Kiyoteru’s form.  “How you can let this stand?!” he asked in shock, “Why do they have no homes?!  Doctors?!  Why are they taking hand outs?!”

The bespectacled fellow began to guide Kaito away.  “This isn’t my choice… we’re working on increasing the amount of solid shelter, but building materials are being rationed again.  Surely you know why.”

Kaito thought he noticed a sharper tone on the last sentence.  “I don’t know anything about rations.  Or why those men…”

He gestured to the injured.  “…aren’t even in a hospital bed!”

For a few moments, Kiyoteru walked in silence.  “It would not do for me to express displeasure to their son when the King and Queen are still alive.”

“Nonsense!” Kaito protested, “You should speak to me plainly!  Is that not your job?”

Kiyoteru side eyed the Prince carefully.  “You won’t like it.”

 

As the two made their way through the city streets again, Kaito’s sense of unease grew as Lord Mayor Hiyama explained the state of things.

That the series of Rose Wars that expanded Estmarch’s territory did not come without great cost.  The aristocracy had claimed the lion’s share of wealth and resources, and with another war on the way, the rationing had begun again and any city without a strong industrial center bore the brunt of the lack of resources.  Food, materials, healthcare… and now with a coup in play, it would only get worse as the fighting broke out within Estmarch’s borders as well.

“Liesenfall’s soldiers have dwindled over time… we couldn’t fend off an invasion if it comes.  The able-bodied men were sent north… as if it isn’t obvious they’re going to be ground up when the Nordland invasion inevitably comes.”

The ones Kaito saw were unemployable – broken.  With so little to go around, nobody would care for them.  Save for the orphans who willingly shared their bread.

‘Refugees…’

So many had wandered into the city seeking safety after losing parents to illness, to poverty, to war… to crime.

“But surely this is unusual!” Kaito said daring to hope.

“It’s my understanding that there’s many cities in worse off shape.  Liesenfall is stretched to the brink.  I’ve been selling off everything I have to try and help support the poor of my city, even dismissing my staff so I might have more to give.  But without help from whomever IS in charge of Estmarch, this too shall run out.”

So the state of his house was a reflection of how much the Lord Mayor had been trying to stave off true collapse.

He started to recall how Miku had spoken to him in her false guise as a Countess.

‘She talked of doing without, of her little ‘fairy tail’ country trying to give away whatever it could…’

She’d appeared so sincere… before she…

“Oh!  I thought perhaps you’d left.”

Kiyoteru’s manner grew far more guarded as the pair reached the front gates… where Miku stood waiting for them.

Kaito felt a whirl of emotions take him, but different from the ones before.  Now it already felt unbecoming of him to have shouted so when he awoke, without even bothering to try and understand Miku’s motivations.  But he didn’t entirely feel glad to see her again either as she approached him.

“I merely wish to ensure that Kai- the Prince is safe.  While he recovers.  At least grant me this, Your Highness.”

When Miku’s eyes turned to Kaito, he thought he spotted something familiar.  For just a moment… he thought he recalled the eyes of the children he’d just met…

“Well, whatever you two decide, it’s not safe for the both of you to be out here.”

Kaito swallowed and walked inside after the Lord Mayor, trying to keep his cool.  When he’d awoken, he’d wanted nothing more than to drive Miku away.  Right now… he didn’t know where he stood now that some of the shock was wearing off.

As they crossed through the threshold into the house, Kiyoteru began sifting through some mail on his desk.  “Yuki, I’m home!”

He stepped away, and Kaito found himself alone with Miku again for the first time in hours.

“I… you don’t have to trust me… or even like me…”

She couldn’t seem to raise her head up to look at him.  “If… if that’s the case… then treat me as simply a soldier.  A blunt instrument to dispose of when you’ve no further need of me.  But allow me to stay with you until you reach true safety.”

Just being reminded of soldiers made Kaito recall the streets filled with the injured.  For a moment he imagined this girl missing limbs herself.

“I implore you, your Highness, you are _not_ safe within Estmarch any longer.  The Fairy Godmothers must have figured out what I’ve done by now, and they _will_ be looking for us.  The next person… will be another Cinderella like myself.  And she will have the resolve to carry out the task I failed.  They are without mercy…”

“Fairy Godmothers?!  Cinderellas?”

Kaito was familiar with the fairy tale, but what did any of that have to do with what Miku was telling him?

Before Miku could explain any further, Kiyoteru came running back in, an opened white envelope clutched in his hands, his face filled with fury.  “What have you done with YukI!?” he shouted.

The harried man pressed so close to Miku the girl found herself backing up into a wall.

“Were you sent here as a distraction?!  Did you want me to babysit him until the Emerald Dawn figured out what to do with him!?”

“Lord Mayor, calm yourself and explain!”

Kaito reached out and grasped Kiyoteru before he got any closer to Miku, turning the upset father to face him.  “They… they left a note behind… they came for my daughter and said I’d know why... if I call the police they’ll kill her…”

The prince flashed back to his departure from the home.  “Your daughter… she was a small girl with a red dress and black pigtails?”

“You saw her?!”

The poor man sounded desperate as Kaito recalled the scene before he’d left the house.  “She left in the company of a woman with red hair, just after I ventured into the city.  She said she was taking Yuki out for a walk to restore her health.”

“Madness!” Kiyoteru protested, “Yuki is in the _peak_ of health!  But… Teto…”

The anger began to drain out of him, replaced only by guilt.  “Oh gods… I thought I checked out her references properly… I only hired her a month ago, when the old nanny moved out of Liesenfall…”

“… she must have been a Cinderella.  Her references would have been carefully forged.”

Miku stepped forward, placing a hand gently on Kiyoteru’s shoulder.  “If Prince Kaito saw her so recently, she can’t have gotten out of Liesenfall yet.  I’ll bring your daughter back to you before the Godmothers go to work on her.  But you need to pretend that everything is normal if they try to blackmail you.  And keep Prince Kaito out of sight.”

Kaito saw Miku slip her hands under her skirt as she holstered a pistol.  “Miku… you’re not going to…”

“It’s only a precaution.”

Any fear that he’d seen from Miku when she’d tried to speak to him was gone now.  She pushed her way out the door to the streets without another word.  Kaito felt a knot building up in his chest.  “What is she planning to do?” he asked shakily.

“She’s one of _them_.  The lost ‘Cinderellas’.”

Kiyoteru gripped his right wrist with his left hand so tightly his knuckles were white.  “They targeted Yuki because of me…” he said sadly, “Over a year ago, I’d been getting reports of young girls going missing in the slums.  I tried to trace their whereabouts but there was always something keeping the truth just beyond my means.  I… I came to the castle trying to get someone to look into it, someone with more resources…”

“My parents?” Kaito asked pointedly.  He was starting to predict where this path would lead.

“… they wanted nothing to do with chasing down leads about ‘gutter trash.’”

There was a weariness to the Lord Mayor that made him appear so much older than his years.  “I wouldn’t let up and that’s when the first threat came.  I should have been more careful but… I knew I was stumbling on something so much bigger… lovely young women turning up at assassinations, involved in dreadful business before they would disappear into the air… like the faeries had spirited them away…  I thought she was simply here to manipulate me, but… she might have tried to escape instead.”

The knot only felt tighter.  Kaito pulled his hood down tightly and yanked up his scarf.  “I’m going after them…”

Kiyoteru looked at him oddly, but pulled a pistol out from the inside of his coat.  “Not without this you’re not.”

The prince almost didn’t take it – the idea of ending a life made him sick.  But he held out a hand and accepted the weapon anyway.  ‘Maybe I can at least look threatening or something.’

He dashed out of the house, hoping he was right behind Miku as he took note of a black car pulling up the gates, making him aware of needing to hide his face as he wrapped his scarf up just a little higher…

 

‘All right, if she were taking a little girl without drawing attention, she’d use either the train or take a car…’

Miku took a quick peek in the driveway of the estate and smirked – a car WAS missing.

_Her_ car.  She hadn’t gassed it up since they’d left Vedunia either.

‘So she would have run out of gas by now… that means she’ll have broken down and she’ll be taking a train.’

This time, the throng of people didn’t frighten her so.  When Miku needed to find someone, melting into the crowd would provide her valuable cover.  She had barely seen Yuki, and even more briefly the red-haired nanny, but she did know what someone trying to flee detection would look like.

Miku heard the distant whistle of the approaching passenger train and picked up her pace.  Finally she spotted the distinctive hairstyle of her target.  While to the people around her, she simply appeared to be guiding the little girl, Miku recognized that the girl wasn’t moving normally – her steps were awkward, stumbling.

‘She drugged her… likely celicanthum porticocus given her behavior and its ease in acquiring… Yuki won’t be able to do much but follow orders like this.  Clever.’

Miku broke out of the crowd and ran towards her target.  “Stop!  Give the girl back, this instant, Teto!”

Teto broke out of her calm stride, wrenching the girl up into her arms and leaping away.  In seconds she’d jumped up a series of boxes to get over the fence to the train yard, Miku mimicking her.  Such basic acrobatics was taught to her young.

She saw the glint of steel at Teto’s thigh and leapt quickly to avoid being impaled by a throwing knife.  ‘Right, no pistols… too much attention.’

This was _basic_.

So why was a Cinderella even here?

Teto rested her charge on the ground, staring at Miku with eyes like ice.  “You were supposed to be in the capital.  What business is this of yours?”

Miku held her tongue, reiterating her threat.  “Leave that child alone and nothing happens.”

‘She’s out of contact?  That… could be useful.  But she knows what I look like… that means she knows about my mission!’

She couldn’t give anything away that would put Kaito at risk along with the poor little girl.  She tried to take stock of the train yard, where the most convenient exit was…

Teto removed several more knives from her coat.  “I have orders to bring her back.  What of you?”

Rather than talking any further, Miku dove forward, drawing her own knife out.  Teto leapt in front of Yuki to meet Miku’s furious slashes, never smiling… never showing any emotion…

“Your actions don’t make sense!  What is it you intend to do!?  Did you mess up your mission somehow and now you’re taking it out on me?!”

Again Miku kept silent rather than give anything away as she flipped around to avoid another barrage of throwing knives.  “The news already got here of the Prince’s death!  What else are you planning?!”

Miku almost got close enough to slice through Teto’s throat… but her hands shook as she nearly did the deed and she faltered.  Leaving a clear opening for Teto to kick her in the stomach and send her flying back.

“I know that hesitation.”

Miku pushed herself up out of the dirt and wood planks.  She saw the train pulling into the station.  She had to keep Yuki or Teto from boarding that train…

“You’ve never killed anyone.  Which means…”

‘No… no please don’t figure it out…’

“He’s ALIVE!  You… you traitor!”

Miku rolled through the dirt before a knife impaled her, but her shirt sleeve was pinned to the ground.  She tried to yank her arm free before Teto leapt forward and stomped on her free wrist.  “Those who turn from the path are to be executed.  No exceptions.”

Teto was no different from Miku once.  Whatever her story… Miku knew why girls became Cinderellas.

Except that _she_ hadn’t.  Even with all the torment and conditioning and training… in the one moment of action, she turned her back on her fate.

What made her different?!

Teto began to plunge a dagger into Miku’s chest as she finally wrenched her pinned arm free and grabbed for Teto’s wrist, stopping the blade an inch from her chest.  “You can’t change fate!  He’s decreed to die!  If you won’t fulfill your duty, I’ll make sure the Godmothers know where he is so they can do it for you!”

‘I… won’t… let anyone… hurt him!’

Miku gritted her teeth as she turned the blade away... she tried to keep her feelings in check… one quick twist and she could have Teto impaled on her own weapon… the only person who knew her location and Kaito’s would be gone… she hesitated again as her nerve left her and the knife blade tilted back her way…

The sound of gun shots startled both combatants.  Teto looked in the direction of them… her foot loosened…

Miku pulled her arm free and yanked the knife out of Teto’s hand.  As it fell flat against her chest, sliding to the ground, Miku used her grip on her assailant to flip the girl onto the ground, face first.  Quickly, she leapt onto the girl’s back and wrapped her arm under Teto’s chin, tightly constricting her neck with both arms.  The girl began to cough and wheeze loudly as her airflow was cut off, Miku trying to ignore how horrible the sounds truly were.

But finally she felt her target go completely limp in her arms.  She released her grip quickly and listened for any signs of breathing.

She was still alive.

The adrenaline pumping through Miku’s body began to wane as she realized that Teto would eventually wake up.  When that happened… Kiyoteru and his daughter wouldn’t be safe.  She and Kaito wouldn’t be safe either…

“Is she… is she dead?”

The high left her as she acknowledged the presence of another person.  Kaito, still in his crude disguise, pulled his scarf down from his lower face with his free hand, his other clutching a pistol.

“She’s unconscious,” Miku assured him, lowering her eyes as she realized he’d watched her grotesque subduing of the girl only moment earlier.  To him, it likely looked like a violent murder.

“Nanny… Nanny Teto?  Where are you?”

Miku looked over to Yuki, who was stumbling in the dirt to stay standing.  At once Kaito rushed to the little girl’s side, dropping the pistol as he tried to keep her steady.  “The drugs Teto gave her won’t wear off for a few hours… we need to take her back home and let her sleep.”

The prince finally picked the girl up in his arms, letting her arms drape around his shoulders as supported her in a sitting position.  “Kiyoteru said you’re an assassin… why didn’t you kill Teto when you had the chance?”

‘Because I’m a failed assassin… I’m an assassin who can’t kill…’

Why couldn’t she say it that way?  Why did Kaito make her so nervous?

For a moment she wished they were still as they were the first night she’d met him, speaking so freely and her knowing she wouldn’t be judged… in those precious blissful hours when Kaito knew nothing about her…

“I didn’t have to.”

She wasn’t sure that was entirely true… but… it seemed to satisfy Kaito.  “Were you trying to shoot at her?” Miku asked as she observed his discarded pistol.

“Oh… uh…”

Kaito shifted Yuki around in his arms to get a better grip on her.  “I was trying to fire a warning shot… I didn’t want to kill anyone either…”

Miku heard the sound of a train whistle and saw the latest train beginning to board.  “That train is headed away from the capital… but…”

She saw a few freight cars mixed in with the passenger cars and got an idea as she slipped Teto’s unconscious body over her shoulders. 

“Kaito, take Yuki home.  I’ll follow back when I’ve dealt with this.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boy howdy do you guys get why I needed more time between chapters when they’re all going to be this long? And no, we still haven’t introduced all of the main cast!
> 
> So as you can see, and likely guessed since this wasn’t a one-shot… Kaito is not dead. I tried to slip a clue into the first chapter that Miku had chosen not to kill him, but I tried to be very subtle about it to try and preserve the surprise. Ultimately, what made me want to write a Cendrillon story, what made me think I had something to say that wasn’t said in other tales based on the song, was that I kept wondering what would happen in the aftermath. If Kaito died, it’s pretty straight forward, but if he lives like some of the more popular MVs for the song suggest… what would that mean for them?
> 
> Pretty early on I wanted to get away from a normal fairy tale setting, and I returned to my fascination with the early 20th century. Massive political upheavals took place in the first two decades that led one of the largest military conflicts in history and a complete shift in the idea of whether someone could govern by divine right. So I put this story in the time period of World War I, in an alternative Europe where I could draw the borders and political conflicts as I needed. It should be more apparent that Estmarch is a stand in for Austria, with a bit of Germany thrown in.
> 
> I guess I should also point out that the story overall is going to have a lot less songs in it than I usually slip into my other stories.


	3. a Frigid Mask

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Liesenfall is no longer safe as Miku and Kaito are forced to flee for further safety once more. Meanwhile, Gakupo and Rin are pursued by a Godmother intent on cleaning up after the failed assassination - and she isn't likely to let them get out of her grasp without a fight.

She sat in the office, tapping her black riding boots on the floor as the only visible sign of her impatience.  She’d had three days to try and get ahead of her quarry, and now the disorganized checkpoint staff was making her wait.  She couldn’t chance them slipping through…

She might have looked a bit strange wearing tan trousers, her baggy black coat, and a black blouse but the general perception of women in trousers was that they were too poor to afford anything else.  Easily forgotten.

Which made her _good_ at spotting the details that others missed.

It was why she _knew_ she was on the right track.

When she’d received a call that “Cinderella has run away with Prince Charming,” she’d understood the gravity of the message.  She’d known the girl wasn’t capable of the task, but her opinions were overruled.  They wanted a girl that had never been deployed on a mission to ensure no chance of her being recognized before the kill.  But that meant they’d sent a girl who also hadn’t been properly hardened on their most important mission yet.

So it fell to her to cut the two loose ends.

Her first step had been to alert her contacts in Vedunia of the existence of the slum clinic and demand they search it.  If the Cinderella stole away with the Prince Charming, his next stop would have been a surgeon – the wound he’d sustained was not insubstantial.  Given the hour, given her intel… the dingy slum clinic with the rumored talented surgeon tucked away had been an obvious location, and the most vital to tracking the Prince’s movements.

She’d received a phone call not long after – this supposedly “poor” clinic actually had a phone installed.  Clearly the doctor was well off enough to ensure he had telephone service.  By all accounts he and whatever staff worked for him had already fled though, taking most of the medicine and tools, and the soldiers were already planning to give up.

‘Idiots.’

Of course they wouldn’t have left a map behind, what were they expecting?  But they would have had little time to leave… and thus they would have had little time to clean up evidence.

She demanded they search the incinerator.

Inside of a great heaping of still smoldering ashes, they turned up the remains of a silver tiara and a gold medallion bearing the royal crest.

“Miss Megurine?  We just received the telegram, - the passenger train out of Liesenfall made its scheduled departure.  We’re setting up a checkpoint at the Heidlmont Station and along the roads into Zweissen.”

“Good.”

Her pink hair wavered as she stood up to follow them.  “Any word from the Red Devil?”

She didn’t know why Teto had chosen such a ridiculous code name…

“None.”

‘So Cendrillon passed through… and took out her rival.’

Cendrillon had fled.  It was up to Luka, a Godmother, to deal with her disloyalty.  The time for living entirely in shadows had passed.

It didn’t matter who the prince was or why he needed to die.  Fate had decreed his death, and he was currently an aberration so long as he drew breath.  And now she had the scent of her prey, wherever he was, she would find him.  He would find no quarter, no safety, and no mercy.

Nor would the wayward Cendrillon.

 

Kaito sat at Yuki’s bedside, observing the slumbering girl with care.  Miku had assured him that the drugs she’d taken wouldn’t hurt her, but he still worried over such a young child being given hallucinogens, let alone being present during such a violent encounter.  His hand ran up his back, feeling where his own deep wound still quietly healed.  Somehow when he was running after Miku, he hadn’t even paid attention to how much it still ached, but with no such distractions, the pain stood out even more.

He heard the window to the room opening up and to his surprise Miku crawled in from the outside.  “How did you get up the side of the building?” he asked incredulously.

“There’s a trellis running up the second story… I just climbed up that one, then leapt up to the ledges, then picked the lock with a hair pin!”

‘She makes it sound like it was barely a trifle…’ Kaito thought to himself.

Miku dusted herself off after pulling the window closed again.  Kaito noticed the tears in her dress from her earlier fight with Teto, but they didn’t seem to bother her.  “I didn’t see that car outside when I got back.  Were they still here when you got back?”

Kaito shook his head.  “The Lord Mayor’s guests seem to have had rather short business with him.”

She took a seat near the door, and Kaito noticed red marks on one of her hands. ‘Did Teto manage to scratch her?’

Before he could inquire further, the door to the bedroom cracked open and Kiyoteru entered.  When the worried father spied his slumbering daughter, he strode quickly to her side, kneeling on the floor and stroking her forehead gently.  “Thank God… She wasn’t injured?”

“Just the drugs.  She needs to sleep them off,” Miku replied.

Kiyoteru still seemed to be examining his daughter for any signs of injury.  “I see.  And what became of Teto?”

“Teto won’t be bothering us anymore.”

And at that Kaito felt a chill as this calm, collected young woman spoke so casually of the brutal fight where she’d choked a woman into unconsciousness.  “I take it you killed her,” Kiyoteru said grimly.

Miku winced, covering the red mark on her hand.  “I didn’t… I… She’s unconscious on a train bound for the Southern border.  That should put her out of contact for some time.”

“Good… that means she won’t interfere with you when you leave Liesenfall.  Which unfortunately is going to have to be tonight.”

Miku looked surprised.  “But… Kaito hasn’t entirely recovered himself!”

The Lord Mayor’s weary face returned.  “Those men from before were couriers from the Emerald Dawn… I have until morning to surrender Liesenfall to them.”

“You’re giving up on them!?” Kaito shouted before remembering Yuki’s condition.  He lowered his voice, but his tone was no less urgent. “What will happen to your people?”

“They won’t turn into cannon fodder for a meaningless assault.”

Kiyoteru’s grim expression provided no comfort.  “I had to make a choice – it wasn’t about myself or even Yuki.  I suspect we’ll be losing our place of comfort next if they decide I have too many ties to the crown.  But… the people.  The people would suffer if I made them fight.  We lost so many in the Great War.  There are few left with the strength now to defend us from even a light attack, let alone an organized military.  They’ve been quite efficient at rallying disunity within the Estmarch forces.”

“I… I don’t even have an army…” Kaito murmured.  He was even on the run from his own countrymen…

… he tried to contain his worries as he watched how tenderly Kiyoteru was treating his daughter who’d already been injured by the same organization that had targeted him.  “Were they able to promise you rations?  Supplies?  How do you know they won’t draft your citizens again?”

“I don’t.  I’m just buying time.”

This time when the Lord Mayor looked at the Prince, he saw something new.  Hope.  “I’ve only known you for a short while…. But you are a very unique person, and a man with a great deal of power behind him even if it doesn’t seem that way right now.  You could have been like the rest of the aristocracy and ignored those below you.  But you’ve already taken risks for strangers.  You were furious at the idea of people living in the streets, without food or medicine!

“Isn’t that just… normal?”

“I’m afraid not,” Miku interjected, still rubbing at her hand.

Kiyoteru continued. “You saw the tent city and refused to look away from it.  Even if you don’t understand the circumstances, you keep looking for ways to help.  If you find your parents alive… if they truly value you so much… they may yet listen to you when nobody else shall!  If they’re still in hiding, they’re likely rallying the military that remains loyal to them as we speak, to take back the country that belongs to you by birthright.  So… I shall place everyone in Liesenfall on your shoulders… make this time count.”

Everyone… in Liesenfall…

Kaito steadied himself.  He was a _prince_.  This was expected of him, was it not?  “I promise I will see Liesenfall free… and all of Estmarch as well.”

His words seemed to bolster Kiyoteru’s spirits.  With that, the Lord Mayor gestured towards the door.  “It would be best if you made whatever plans you have without me in earshot… that way they can’t torture it out of me if they figure out what happened.”

Kaito nodded to Miku and the two of them exited for the hallway.  “Well, do you think we can trust him?” Miku asked calmly once they’d gotten out of earshot of Kiyoteru.

Kaito found her question rather strange.  “You found him trust worthy enough to bring me here.  Is that not enough?”

She fiddled with her hair.  “I had a few potential leads in case the mission went south that I could pursue if I needed to escape and regroup… I was explicitly not told how they were related.  People like the slum doctor, the Lord Mayor… at least one more aristocrat that could aid us as well.  I suspect that Kiyoteru was given to me because _Teto_ was here, but neither of us recognized each other.  They try to keep most of us in the dark about who the other Cinderellas are… I only really knew my mentor and some of my handlers.”

She looked up to Kaito and he found himself at an impasse.  When he’d first awoken, all he’d felt when he looked at her was the pain of betrayal.  Of giving up his most personal emotions, his very heart, to someone who’d been sent to kill him.  But now…

He didn’t know how he felt.  Was she a victim too?  Kiyoteru certainly believed her to be, but he didn’t know that.

“Kaito.  I’m serious about what I said before the kidnapping… I _will_ see you safely out of Estmarch.  Wherever that safety is.  You don’t have to like me, trust me, or even talk to me.  I promise, when you’re safe, I’ll leave and you’ll never see me again. Just… understand that I’ve already given up my life for yours.  Let my sacrifice mean something.”

Were her tears at the ball sincere?  Was her pledge _now_ sincere?

He didn’t know.

He did know she’d risked exposing herself to save the child of a stranger.

And he also knew the second he fired his pistol that he couldn’t stand back and watch her suffer and die.

She was waiting for an answer.

“Westheim.”

“Pardon?”

He cleared his throat.  “My uncle Naoto in the capital of Westheim.  My mother’s brother, so he has no claim to the throne, the conspiracy wouldn’t have reached him.  And, frankly… my uncle is a good man.  My parents weren’t getting along as well with him over the last few years, but he still wrote to me often.”

Miku’s eyes widened.  “That’s quite far!  Are you certain of its safety?”

She wasn’t wrong – it would be a few days by train, a little more by car.  But with the growing chaos enveloping Estmarch in the way of the coup, the more time Kaito took leaving Estmarch, the greater the chance of him being swallowed up by his enemies.  But he couldn’t see any other place beyond the borders of Estmarch that would take him.

“Estmarch already conquered Sudland.  Nordland is likely preparing for war and this will push it over I suspect.  But Westheim believes in strict neutrality in all conflicts, and they’re well-armed to protect their own borders.  I think it’s our safest route – if we get passage in, we can’t be so easily pursued.” 

Miku rested a hand against her chin as she considered Kaito’s argument.  “Let’s see then… we’re best off taking the car towards the Rhune Valley, I still don’t trust the trains if the Emerald Dawn gets ahead of us.  I’ll see if Kiyoteru can get us some gasoline and a few supplies.  I think I have a contact in the industrial cities, Duke Ueki.  By the time we’ve reached Zweissen, we _should_ know where his loyalties lie.”

She looked Kaito over carefully, inspecting him as though he were a fragile doll and not a person.  “You didn’t tear your stitches running around, did you?”

Kaito hadn't even thought of that possibility… but he didn't feel anything like blood seeping out as he touched his injury.  “They’re intact… I was careful, I promise.”

“Good…”

Miku looked momentarily relieved.  “I’m not sure when we’re going to find another doctor once we’re on the road…”

 

“Gakupo, you slept all the way through the stop at Liesenfall.”

“Hrm?”

Rin couldn’t help but laugh as the lazy doctor’s eyes cracked open, scanning the tiny train room at a slow pace.  “Did I miss anything important?”

“Well the sunrise over the Kitzenglock Mountains was so lovely…”

“Ah… what a shame I slept through the breakfast cart…”

Gakupo began to shut his eyes again and for once Rin was willing to leave him to his impressive napping skills.  They’d barely escaped the coup in the capital with what they could carry in their backpacks.  Gakupo had insisted on retrieving as many of his medical supplies as possible, and between the two of them they’d managed to get enough drugs and tools to start a small clinic if they needed to.  But it also meant leaving behind such things as day clothes – Rin was only wearing an old white dress, a short, thick yellow jacket, and thick black shoes, her skirt running down to her ankles.  Gakupo hadn’t even really changed since the night of the Prince’s surgery, and Rin wondered how many people had realized he was still wearing a night shirt.  At least he’d grabbed his long purple coat before he took off, though right now he had it draped over him like a blanket.

‘And with a war on… who knows what we’ll need?’

She kicked her heels on the bench.  To think she’d so suddenly had to flee and start her life over again!  But it didn’t seem as frightening this time.  She had a friend with her, after all, and even as they scoured for any scrap of information on what happened to her family, she could always fall back into her trade.

“Well sleepy head, I’m going to stretch my legs.  It’s been years since I was on a train!”

He gave a wave of his hand to his young nurse as she slipped out of their room, wandering the train cars.  ‘I think we have enough money for a little snack… I don’t want Gakupo to die of starvation in there…’

 The cars were packed with people.  Rin imagined that under normal circumstances, they would be buzzing with activity and happiness.  But this wasn’t a normal journey.  Everyone on this train was like her and Gakupo – refugees of war.  Conversation stayed close to simple topics.  As she approached the dining car, she heard the telltale sounds of a radio and leaned in just in case there was anything important.

“… the people cheer for the freedom they’ve achieved today!  For today, we are transferring power from the thieves of Shion and giving it back to _you_ , the people!  Together, we will determine the course of Estmarch and the world for many, many years to come!  We will face challenges, we will confront hardships, but Estmarch steps forward, into an era where we no longer allow the elites to rob the poor!  The industry to falter, the poor to suffer in our cities, the weakest to become weaker!”

Several people were gathered around the radio in silence.  “Who is that?” Rin whispered.

“That’s our new Grand General Tonio, giving his ascension speech…” whispered an old gentleman.

“Tonio?  Duke Tonio?  I thought the Emerald Dawn was supposed to be a rebellion _against_ the aristocracy…”

The radio continued to blare and Rin found herself wanting to listen even as the “General’s” bombastic words sounded rather unhinged.  “We must not allow our new order to be wasted on those beneath us!  Estmarch will become a shining beacon to the world and the elites and frauds beyond our borders will learn to fear our might!  We will eradicate the terroristic elements still threatening our society!  And those who don’t respect the people of Estmarch… we will respond with our united force!”

Cheers began to erupt from the crowd on the radio.

“Estmarch strong, Estmarch forever!”

Rin slipped away trying to make sense of what she’d heard.  Perhaps deep in her heart, she’d hoped that these people who’d burned her old home might still somehow be better than the Shion royals.  She of course pitied the poor Prince who’d been a victim of a near murder, but spending so long in the slums and watching them decay around her had only made her more and more glum about the future of her homeland. 

But fleeing Estmarch entirely was never an option for her or for Gakupo – the travel papers to move freely within the country could be hard enough to acquire, let alone for a girl officially listed as dead.  Only the chaos of the night before had given herself and Gakupo the ability to board the last train out of the capital without paperwork as the train staff ultimately chose to keep allowing people to board until they had to leave to allow as many refugees to escape as possible.

This new ruler did not calm Rin’s nerves.  She’d heard people like him speak.  She’d been sent to kill people like him in her other life...

‘No… none of that…’

She found the dining room and to her dismay, it was clear they’d already run out of food thanks to the extra passengers.  ‘There probably won’t be anything until our next stop.  Hopefully they can stock up in Rhune Valley before Gakupo does something really crazy like eat a pillow...’

As Rin began to exit to return to her tiny room, she noticed a panicked blonde-haired boy in dirty black clothes rushing through the crowd.  “Please!  A doctor, do any of you know a doctor?!”

He only looked a few years older than Rin, his red eyes scanning for anyone that would listen to him.  “Anyone, you have to help my brother!  My brother is going to…!”

Rin ran over to him and grabbed him by the wrist.  “I’m a nurse, I’m traveling with a surgeon!  Let’s go fetch him!”

The young man’s panic seemed to subside a little.  “Thank you so much!”

His nerves seemed to translate into babbling from fear as Rin lead him back to their train car.  “I’m Yohio… his name is Oliver… we just barely got out of Vedunia with our lives… but Ollie, he got caught up in mortar fire… we bandaged him up but he’s taking a turn for the worst…”

“We’ll check for an infection and any fragments!” Rin said as her nurse instincts took over, “Do you know his blood type?”

“Ah!  It’s B, just like mine!”

“Good!  That makes the transfusions easier!”

Rin threw open the door and saw Gakupo sprawled over the couch, his hair half covering his face as a bit of drool dripped of his mouth while he snored.

“THAT’S the doctor?!”

Yohio sounded incredulous as Rin grabbed Gakupo’s shoulder and started shaking him.  “Wake up, it’s an emergency!  We need your skills!”

“The Glockenspiel Mountains are so pretty on jelly toast…” he mumbled in his sleep.

A loud crack rang out as Rin slapped the side of his face as hard as she could.  “GET UP ALREADY!”

_Now_ he was up, with a red handprint on his cheek.  “You didn’t have to resort to violence!” he whined.

He hopped off the couch, pulling his hair back.  “All right, all right, grab the supplies.  What are we looking at?”

“An injured boy, shrapnel wound in the face.  His brother has the same blood type.”

“Ah!  You’re so responsible, finding that out in advance!”

“Well _one_ of us has to be.”

By now Yohio looked even more scared after having met the bizarre doctor.  “Are you… _sure_ … he’s a real doctor?”

Gakupo clapped one of his hands on the boy’s shoulder.  “Now now, I ran a slum clinic for the last six years and I didn’t lose a single patient!”

It wasn’t hard finding the train car with Oliver inside, given the number of people gathered around it.  Rin could hear a woman singing softly, her voice occasionally shaking.

_“Locked and hidden out of sight, your tender your warmth might open up what I hide inside; Passionate fire and calming night…”_

Rin and Gakupo pushed their way inside to see a dark-skinned woman with reddish blonde hair and wearing a long red coat.  She was holding a blonde boy in her arms, cradling him as she sang to calm him.

_“The ear that hears the words unspoken… The arms that hold you tightly…The welcoming heart when all is broken, the touch you feel too deeply…”_

Maybe a normal girl Rin’s age would be terrified to see a child covered in bloody rags, his skin pale from blood loss as he trembled, his little white cap resting on the chair near his side.

But Rin was a nurse – this was not the first such sight she’d had to endure in a surgery.

Gakupo was similarly unphased, but he had a far more exuberant way of expressing it.  “Well, no wonder he’s doing so well when he has such pretty eyes to look up into!”

At _that_ the young lady stopped singing.  “Who the hell are you!?”

Rin heard Yohio’s voice in the hallway.  “Ruby, he’s the doctor!  They’re here for Ollie!”

And maybe by now Rin would be used to the strange looks people always gave Gakupo’s “unique” bedside manner.

“Now now, let’s not get upset!  Ah, you did an exceptional job with what you had… let me just peel back these bandages and see the wounds.”

Gakupo pulled away the bandages on the young man’s forehead and whistled – the wound on the side of his face had crossed right over his right eye.  “Oh… well, two eyes are overrated, aren’t they?  Rin, can you get the ether mask? I think I see where the shrapnel entered…”

For all of Gakupo’s odd mannerisms, he was downright gentle with the young boy.  “I’m… I’m going to be an angel?  Like mama?”

Oliver’s voice sounded so nervous and weak and the doctor’s sudden laugh seemed to seriously unsettle the boy’s older brother.  “Well I certainly expect so someday, you seem like a good fellow!  But it’s a little early to be planning for heaven, you’ve got so much to do here!”

Rin slipped the mask over Oliver’s face as Gakupo kept the boy’s eyes focused while the flow of anesthetic began.  “Now just have a nice rest… you’ll feel better when you wake up…”

The young nurse stood up and gestured to the door apologetically.  “I’m sorry, I know you’re both worried, but we need space in here if we’re going to operate to get that shrapnel out.  We’re going to change up, if either of you can find a wash basin and some soap, we’ll have a more sterile environment.”

The ether didn’t take long to take effect before the child was unconscious, the doctor laying him gently on the floor where Rin had already set out a surgical blanket.  “Poor lad… at least I found him before it was too late…”

As much as Gakupo’s off-putting behavior could set everyone around him on edge, Rin knew the truth about the lazy doctor.  More than naps, more than even pretty girls, Gakupo loved to save lives.  And once his mind was trained on medicine, he was the most talented surgeon in the world.

And he never gave up on his patients.

 

Kaito felt a bit childish leaning his head out the window of car as Miku drove along the dusty rural road, but the feeling of fresh air against his face and the smell of the fresh cut fields felt so exciting and new for the sheltered prince.  He hadn’t personally been out in the countryside, but from what he’d read about, the fall harvest had just ended.  For a moment he wished he’d been out here to see the fields full of ripe wheat and vegetables…

… then he remembered the gravity of the situation he was in and he stiffened up.

Kaito had wanted to contact his uncle to at least let him know he was still alive.  It had been years since he’d last seen the man.  Kaito had been aware that his uncle’s relationship with the King and Queen of House Shion had soured during the many “Rose Wars”.  Westheim practiced strict armed neutrality, and while Kaito could rarely get much information out of his parents about the nature of the conflicts themselves, he doubted either of his parents would appreciate maintaining contact with a nation that wouldn’t join them under any circumstances.  Yet Kaito himself still received a steady flow of friendly letters and even the occasional phone call from his uncle, and he was certain that the poor man would be devastated to believe his nephew had been the victim of a brutal assassination.

But as Miku had pointed out, telegrams and phone calls out of Estmarch were locked down thanks to the coup, the operators preventing the messages from being transmitted.  A letter would meet a similar fate as it was doubtful postal carriers would be permitted to leave.  So for now, to Kaito’s dismay, his uncle would have to continue to believe Kaito was dead until they found a secure way to contact him.

Kaito’s mind drifted back to what he’d seen in Liesenfall.  The victims of the Rose Wars… Kiyoteru had seemed to take a dim opinion of the wars themselves.  His parents had told him it was necessary, that Estmarch had the right to grow and strengthen, just a strong plant extends its roots and branches throughout the soil.

But Kaito wasn’t stupid – he knew something had been deeply wrong the more he’d found his life growing more and more restricted when he asked too many questions.  He could only listen to Meiko’s albums so many times before he’d finally start trying to sneak an ear to the door of royal conferences to hear about what was really happening.  But it was difficult to get the truth – the radio would repeat what his parents would say.  The textbooks his tutors provided gave nothing but glowing stories of how Estmarch had brought pride and prosperity to those it had brought into its fold.  Not one person within the castle would speak to him plainly, regardless of how friendly they might otherwise appear to him.

He glanced over to Miku.  Their drive had been entirely in silence so far.  He still didn’t entirely know what he felt about her – all the passion he’d felt inside his heart the night he’d met her had released in the chaotic aftermath, but she still held a strong fascination for him.  She’d been so _good_ at digging into his deepest feelings and worries.  And even now, when she was focused, there remained the aura of intense sorrow around her.  So at least that wasn’t intentionally part of the “trap”.

After everything Kiyoteru had told him about the Cinderellas...

After what Miku had been _trying_ to tell him about the Cinderellas…

_“I wish… I wish I could be free too…”_

“Miku, I must impose upon you… you’ve told me precious little about the people pursuing us.  I already know Duke Tonio has elevated to become at least the face of the Emerald Dawn, but what of the Fairy Godmothers?”

“I don’t know where they stand with the coup.  If they’re part of it, if they engineered it, or if they were simply useful.  All of us Cinderellas are kept largely in the dark about the nature of our organization, to keep us from giving it away.”

But he persisted.  “Then just tell me what you _do_ know.  About the Cinderellas, about anything that could help me understand.”

He noticed her mood growing more somber.  He felt guilty for making her dig into her own past, but both of their lives depended on it.  “I’m sorry Miku, but I can’t simply treat you as a blunt tool as you requested.  If we’re to both survive the journey to Westheim, I have to see you as a companion.  Someone I trust.”

He slid back into the car seat, wincing a little as he accidentally put pressure on his still-healing knife wound.  “And I want you to be able to trust _me_ too.”

“The Godmothers… they take us when we’re young.”

Though Miku’s voice hitched up, she kept her eyes on the road.  “The ones nobody will miss.  Some of us are taken, some of us are… paid for.  And still others are simply found – my mentor crawled out of the ashes of the conquest of Sudland.”

‘The people of Sudland were said to be grateful to be saved from a tyrannical old regime…’ Kaito thought to himself.

Their route out of Estmarch might well bring them into the former lands of Sudland.  He could see for himself when he got there.

“We train every day… all day.  Everything we do is training.  Training for our bodies, training for our minds…  We’re ground down to take orders, but bolstered enough to sound like real people when we’re placed on our missions.  Most of us need to blend in… and… and…”

There was a part of Kaito that wanted to push her harder right now.  The part of him that wanted to know the truth of everything she said to him the night they met.  But he pushed that part back – he pitied her the more she spoke.

“…they promised to make us into Princesses.  So we’d never want for food or shelter or warmth again.”

That such abuse took place in his kingdom right under his nose… “How long has this been going on?  How has nobody stopped it?!”

“I don’t really know how long… longer than since I joined anyway.  As for why… you heard Kiyoteru.  Nobody cared about us going missing.  On top of that… the Godmothers are well connected.  We could be placed on jobs at the highest levels of society.  So there had to be more people like Tonio that knew about us and did nothing because they intended to make use of us.”

‘Like murdering a royal,’ Kaito thought to himself.  “Did Tonio hire you then?”

He knew he was getting _very_ close.

“I don’t know.  I never met him until that night.  And I was just told… where to kill you and where to leave your body.  It wasn’t until the Emerald Dawn attacked the castle that I realized the events were meant to create a coup.”

She sounded more apologetic.  “This may sound crazy, but… I really didn’t know anything about the Emerald Dawn.  I don’t know if I was simply a hired hand or… or if maybe the Godmothers colluded with them… or if all of us are being used… there are so many dangerous people in Estmarch that had to plot together to make the events of the ball play out and… and I was the one that started the war…”

Even if Kaito already had a strong moral objection to the way Miku and her other Cinderellas had been neglected so long, now he could only see the results of that ignorance.  Estmarch had been torn asunder, its very foundations cracking apart.

‘Surely I can use that to convince my parents to listen to me…’

They hadn’t listened to him before… but he’d already promised he would try.

‘And if they don’t…’

He didn’t know the answer to that question yet.  Even so…

For just a moment he could remember in the haze before he collapsed at the ball… he remembered Miku’s tears even as she’d stabbed him…

“Kaito, there’s a line up of cars ahead… get your travel papers ready.  That might be a checkpoint.”

Kaito straightened up in his seat, going through his bags to find the paper work.  Before departing Kiyoteru’s residence, the Lord Mayor had provided them with a number of supplies – some food, water, fuel, and perhaps more important than any of them, forged travel documents with false names.  They might even work in the short term – until inevitably they were changed again.  Miku had hoped once she was able to get into contact with Duke Ueki that he could get her some more recent ones.

As the line of cars stayed stable, Miku looked more nervous.  “The travel papers might not cover us…” she whispered, “But still… the news keeps reporting on your death.  These are just border guards, they shouldn’t have been informed of your survival.”

Eventually there was a brief shift forward and Miku drove along.  “You… might want to keep that pistol ready.”

“To shoot the guards?!  I’m not shooting someone who’s just trying to do his job!”

Miku winced.  “If they shoot at us, we won’t have a choice… ah, here they come!”

All they could do was wait out the line… that or drive through the harvested corn field and hope they wouldn’t be caught…

“Kaito… grab on to something…”

“What?!  You’re not seriously going to…!”

The pigtailed driver reiterated her command.  “Grab.  ON!”

He did as he was told, holding on tightly to a metal bar as Miku slammed her foot on the accelerometer.  The car lurched forward and swerved off the road.  In the distance Kaito could already see the panicked guards scrambling to try and get into their own vehicles.  If they’d intended to sneak by, that was already past – now it was a race to get away!

“Can this car withstand whatever madness you’re plotting?!”

“We’re going to find out!”

A hint of a smile formed on Miku’s face after so long without it.  And to Kaito’s greater distress… he found their sudden plunge off the orderly road and into the farm land _exhilarating_ …

 

Gakupo’s patient slept soundly as the doctor gently examined the newly wrapped, clean bandages running across his face.  The two-hour surgery had cleared out the metallic fragments.  As expected, he wasn’t able to save the boy’s eye, but he was confident he would survive the injury.

He pulled off his surgical apron and mask, washing his hands in the basin to keep contamination from spreading.  “Someone that young shouldn’t be worrying about this…” he murmured to his nurse.

“At least he had you,” Rin said, smiling at him, “And our little floating clinic.”

“Go ahead and let the family in, I think his brother was about to pass out from worry!”

As Rin opened the door, Yohio was the first one inside.  The teenager rushed over to his brother before Gakupo held his hand out.  “Let him sleep, he’s earned it, surely?” the doctor said.

Yohio stopped his running, slowly approaching the boy and sitting next to him on the floor.  “Sorry… he’s all I’ve got… I don’t know what I’d do if I let him die…”

Gakupo couldn’t even comprehend such a sense of guilt.  “Ah, but you didn’t!  You got him safely onto this train and into the hands of a surgeon!  You should be proud of yourself!”

“Maybe… maybe you’re right…” Yohio said, sounding relieved before he turned to gesture to Ruby outside the door.  She walked in carrying a small duster hat filled with bills.  “Hey… we don’t have much, but… me and the other passengers scrapped together what we had.  To pay for the surgery.”

Gakupo pushed the hat away at once.  “Nonsense, you need that to get where you’re going.  It’s a long way out of Estmarch.”

He looked back to his patient.  “Besides, I do cases like this all the time… it was practically cheap!”

That was technically a lie, but he didn’t have a clinic right now… and the supplies he had were meant to help out others on the way, right?

But Ruby pushed the hat forward again.  “Then you take this and use it to keep helping more people!” she insisted, “Supplies or tents or whatever… Ollie’s not going to be the first injured person you find… and…”

She smiled at him and he was taken aback by the lovely green glow of her eyes.  “You seemed a little unreliable, but you did a good thing here.  So take it, please… for the next Ollie.”

Gakupo realized his attempt at altruism wasn’t going to succeed, and he took the hat.  There wasn’t exactly a fantastic sum in there, but in the back of his head, he was already counting out how much of it would go to helping him restock medicine when he eventually got another clinic off the ground.  Or sooner… Ruby was right, it wouldn’t be long before his skills and his stock would be needed.

Ruby leaned up against the doorway, watching Yohio with his brother.  ”So what’s someone like you doing wasting away as a slum doc?”

He looked back over to Ruby and flashed a smile.  “I just like to help people… and the people in the slums needed me more than anyone else.”

“And the nurse?  What about her?”

Gakupo scanned the room but saw no sign of Rin.  “Why, she’s the finest nurse I could ask for!  I’m sure when she’s older, and this war business is over, she’ll be off to medical school… and who knows what then?”

The train slowed down as it pulled into the Heidelmont station.  “Are you lot getting off here?” he asked.

Yohio shook his head.  “We don’t know how far this train’s going, but the closer it gets us to the borders… the better.  I wanted to try for Nordland, but not with Oliver like this, not crammed onto a boat.  So… Westheim, probably.”

Ruby seemed similarly dim.  “The Shion Royals were hell and a half, but I’m not planning to stick around while all these rebellions fight out who’s in charge next.  While everything’s chaotic though, we might actually make it _out_ of Estmarch.”

He heard a disturbance outside the hallway and the sound of pounding footsteps approaching the room until  Rin burst in through the open door.  “Gakupo!  The station guards are checking every car, they’re looking for us!  They’ve got a woman with them… she’s a… she’s a…”

Her pale face told the doctor everything he needed to know about the person Rin was speaking of.  “Calm down!  You still had your mask on, right?  Then she shouldn’t have recognized you!”

Gakupo quickly rooted through his suitcase and handed Yohio a small pill bottle.  “These are antibiotics. Make sure he takes one every day until you run out in case of infection.  I’m sorry I can’t leave you with more.”

The boy took the pills but looked alarmed at the sudden turn of events.  “You’re a wanted man?!” he blurted out, “What did you do, kill someone?!”

The doctor smirked.  “Quite the opposite!  I think I may have saved a life I shouldn’t have.”

“Hey, I’ll get out there and slow the patrol down!” Ruby said, “I’ll pass the word around the cabin, everyone here is on your side!  Those stuffed shirts won’t have time to lay a finger on you!”

Gakupo and Rin finished packing up their surgical supplies.  “Wait, I don’t even know your name!” Yohio said, “Who should Oliver be thanking?”

“Ah… well… um…”

Gakupo stammered as he realized giving out his name could further jeopardize a patient he’d just saved.  “Gakuto!  Just call me Dr. Gakuto!”

Rin slapped her forehead.  “Wow, nobody will EVER be able to trace you with THAT brilliant name!”

“Just… come on, let’s go!”

The pair dashed through the train cars, stopping briefly in their room to gather the last of their things before bolting out the back way.  Gakupo could hear the passengers behind him forming up a distraction for him and silently hoped they would be safe.

“Gakupo!  This way!”

Rin was in far better shape than him, kicking open the back door and climbing up a ladder onto the top of the caboose.  “You want us to climb the top of the train?!”

“Just for now!  Trust me!”

Gakupo swallowed.  “Some of us aren’t that acrobatic you know!”

She let out an annoyed sigh.  “Come on up here or I’m telling everyone your name is Dr. Chickenhead!”

“Now that’s just _cruel!_ ”

Gakupo adjusted his backpack and scrambled up the ladder, trying to keep his balance on top of the train.  To his amazement, Rin was easily running along the roof, looking for the best exit.  “There’s so many guards here… wait, there’s a good path to the train yard if we run along the top!  Okay, come on Gakupo, pick up the pace!”

The poor doctor was a lot of things – an excellent napper, a brilliant surgeon… but not a terribly good runner.  Rin leapt between two of the train cars and landed on the other side.  Gakupo struggled to make the same jump, nearly tripping and tumbling off clumsily.  “Are you sure this is the best route for escape?!”

“Well there’s nobody up here but us, so yea, it is!”

And while the two clambered over the rail cars, this remained a truth as well… until a black-clothed figure leapt up between two of the cars and landed just a meter away from Rin.  A black clothed _feminine_ figure, her long pink hair blowing in the wind behind her.

She had the most lovely pair of blue eyes Gakupo had ever seen.

“L…Luka…”

Rin stumbled backwards, the first time Gakupo had seen her startled since their entire mad chase.  “So you returned from the dead, Cendrillon.”

There was a melody to the way she spoke, as if her every word flowed together.  Gakupo at once recognized the accent as Sudlandian – to him, their voices always sounded so elegant, even though her accent wasn’t terribly strong.  When she looked his way, however, he saw no emotions in her eyes.  “This man is your accomplice then?  I’m understanding how the Prince escaped so easily then.”

Rin stepped in front of Gakupo, putting her hands out.  “You won’t touch him!  I’ll fight to the death to protect him!”

“Like you protected the prince?”

She cocked a pistol and pointed it square at the duo.  “We’ve got road blocks on the path through the fortification walls.  Come quietly and tell us everything you know about where he went.”

Gakupo wasn’t entirely sure the woman would believe him if he answered truthfully that the prince and his caretaker hadn’t told him where they were going.  He tried to put himself between Rin and Luka.  Maybe there was a peaceful resolution that didn’t require him possibly getting a former patient killed?  He met her eyes again and even knowing she was plotting against him, he still had to admit they captivated him.

“Miss, there has been a mistake… I treat people at all hours in my clinic, but I think you and I both know the prince was assassinated a few days ago…”

His lie clearly was having no effect on Luka.  “We already found what was left of his clothes in your incinerator.  There is no point in trying to conceal your involvement.  If you’re here, no doubt he’s here as well.”

‘She’s… probably right about that…’ Gakupo thought to himself.  Obviously Miku had taken the car, but the only major roadways she could take would have taken her through the Rhune Valley…

“Gakupo.  When I say jump, _jump._ ”

Rin hissed at him and he already worried about what kind of crazy plan she’d concocted.  He knew a little of who his nurse _used_ to be, before the night that he found her battered body and dragged it back to his surgery.  And he was aware of how dangerous it was for anyone associated with her old employers to know she was alive and trying to live free.

“What’s it going to –“

“JUMP!”

Before Luka could get another word out, Rin tossed a small, lit flask out of her backpack in Luka’s direction.  It broke on the deck, the flaming powder releasing a small cloud of smoke as Luka fired her weapon and Gakupo actually felt the bullets whiz through his hair as he followed his nurse over the side of the train, landing in the cargo-filled train yard.

He cried out as he landed on his ankle poorly… but after a few poor steps, he was assured he hadn’t twisted it.  Just a rough landing.  “What in the world did you put in that flask!?” Gakupo called out.

“Potassium nitrate… and sugar!  You wouldn’t believe how easy those are to make if you have a lighter!”

“Well, I do hope we aren’t treating anyone with asthma any time soon…”

Gakupo followed through the train cars as he and Rin searched for any kind of an exit from the train yard.  “No more gun fire… that’s not good…” Rin muttered.

“Isn’t it though?  It means she’s not shooting us, right?!”

“That’s just it… she wouldn’t waste the bullets just to scare us…”

Rin screamed as Gakupo heard the gunshot, limping forward as blood stained her skirt around her right thigh.  “Rin!”

The blonde bravely kept trying to maintain her pace.  “G-Gakupo!  She probably still has a clear shot-“

She shoved him down to the ground as the next bullet exploded into bags of powder.  “Just go, please!  Luka’s more interested in me anyway and…”

Without another word, Gakupo grabbed the girl’s arm and propped her up.  “Sorry, but I still need a nurse, and you’re the best one I have!”

In the back of his head he was already plotting her treatment… there wasn't a massive blood flow yet, so the bullet had clearly missed her arteries…

Gakupo tried to keep up a steady pace and keep Rin off her leg as they tried to plot an escape, zigzagging behind crates and empty train cars as they kept waiting for another bullet to take them out… he started to form the seeds of a plan, but he wasn’t sure he wanted to voice it aloud because he suspected Rin would, rightfully, call him out on how crazy it was…

 

The car swerved through the plants as Miku tried to keep it steady.  It wasn't built for driving off the road and the frame kept shaking around her as it barreled over the rough farm land.  “We've got three behind us!” Kaito called out, to her gratitude as apparently the rather flighty doctor she'd gotten it from hadn't bothered to install any rearview mirrors.

She ducked as she heard gun fire, swerving the vehicle to try and keep the bullets from hitting anything valuable.  Fortunately, the first round had missed.  “We need to stop those vehicles!  They didn’t have many at the checkpoint, we should be okay if we can pile them up or something!”

She glanced over to Kaito, who was still cautiously hanging his head out the window.  “Get me a clearer shot,” he shouted.

Miku swallowed and headed closer to the main road again.  She would be completely exposed.  “They’re still bunched up!”  Kaito yelled, “I’ll bet they stay that way when they hit the road!”

“Kaito, what are you trying to do?!”

She heard the sound of a pistol cocking and glanced down to see Kaito holding his pistol in his lap.  ‘Does he really have the nerve to kill them?’  Miku thought as Kaito leaned out the window with his gun.  She hoped they wouldn’t shoot at him when he was this exposed.

Four clear shots rang out from his gun before Kaito ducked back inside as Miku heard the returning fire… and several loud “pops” as the tires on one of the vehicles behind her exploded.  She risked turning her head and watching as one of the cars, trying to maneuver on axles, spun out of control, crashing into one and causing a third to flip back off the road, overturning into the cornfield.  All of them came to a complete stop as the drivers bailed out of their smoking vehicles.  Miku turned back to the road, focusing only on putting as much distance between the still-armed but now footbound pursuers and herself…

 

Luka had observed her targets trying to hide out in a freight car and she was already in pursuit as she closed in on it.  The girl, Rin, was injured, and her friend was clearly an idiot.  She prepared herself for an attack when she entered anyway.  Rin was a Cendrillon once, and a previously successful one.  A bullet wound would not stop her if she intended to fight back.

She stepped into the train car, ready for anything… only to see another smoke filled flask tossed in front of her.  “That’s not going to work again,” she sighed, marching through the feeble cloud.

“Ah, but you have to give me some credit for my ingenuity right?”

The doctor stood in front of the “nurse”, wearing a surgical mask on his face.  “I mean, really, I’m only a doctor, it’s not like I have explosives on me!”

“I don’t need a live _idiot_ when I have my Cendrillon.”

Her words had the intended effect as she saw Rin grow upset.  “I don’t belong to _you_ or to anyone else!”

Luka backed up just as she saw Rin charge for her.  The girl’s leap was good given the injury… but not powerful enough.  The more seasoned assassin spun easily out of the smaller girl’s grasp, grabbing her tightly and wrapping her arm around the girl’s neck.  “There is no running from the Godmothers!  You’re either a Cendrillon, or you’re dead!  Whatever you think you were up to trying to get away…!”

Rin tugged Luka further back into the smoke, but Luka maintained her grip.  “Wait!  Leave her alone!  I might have the information you need!”

So he was a coward too.  The smoke from the flask wavered up into her face as she kept trying to hold Rin.

“The Prince’s route, and you live when I take the Cinderella back.”

“You call that a trade?”

The doctor was fidgeting around.  “You can’t just take my nurse from me!”

“You’re not aware of how lucky you are!” Luka shouted as she tightened her grip around her prisoner, “I should kill you just for having met her!  Let alone helping another one get away with the person she was supposed to kill!”

“I knew it… I knew that girl was one of you…” Rin choked out.

Luka sighed and pulled back the hammer on her gun.  “You don’t have any room to negotiate.  What is your choice?’

“Well… I have to say, does it smell like flowers in here or is it just me?”

“What kind of answer is…”

And that’s when Luka realized how suicidally stupid the doctor had been as she felt her fingers going numb, Rin falling weak in her arms while the doctor stumbled around like he was drunk.   “Gakupo, I told you that mask wasn’t going to be thick enough…” Rin murmured.

“You stuffed your anesthetic into a smoke bomb?!  You’re breathing it in too!”

She had to get out of the train car before she lost consciousness.   Who knew what they’d do if they caught her… but her legs gave out next and she buckled onto the floor, so dizzy the room was spinning around her.  She grabbed her pistol and tried firing at the purple blur in front of her, but she didn’t even come close.  Her pistol was pulled out of her numb hands and she fully expected him to shoot her as he held it close... but instead he rested it on the floor and picked her up as the numbing sensation continued to spread.

“Look, I’m sorry, I can’t have you running around shooting us, but I took an oath.  Do no harm.  That extends to you too.”

She wanted to struggle against him, but the anesthetic had completely taken hold of her.  She was having trouble staying focused as her mind shut off as well while he carried her to the door.  “I don’t know what they did to you to make you like this, but I forgive you.  Maybe next time we meet, we won’t be enemies, okay?”

She felt the train car starting to move before the doctor dropped her to the ground outside, well out of range of the tracks.  The last thing she was aware of before she blacked out was the sound of the train pulling away…

…with another Cendrillon on board…

 

It was almost twenty minutes before Miku finally released all the tension from the daring escape in one long breath.  She turned to Kaito, who sat rigidly in the car, gripping the pistol with both hands and staring at it.  ““We… we did… it…” he finally said.

“I can’t believe you shot them!  And it _worked_!” Miku exclaimed.

And suddenly, for the first time since that ill-fated ball… Kaito began to laugh.  His genuine smile breaking upon his face spread his cheer to her…

… and now Miku was laughing too.

She never thought she would be able to again.

The car eased up on its wild acceleration as Miku released the pedal lightly.  “I didn’t think you actually knew how to _aim_ a pistol, I thought you were just waving it around for show!”

Kaito’s laughter began to calm.  “Of course I can shoot!  One of my few actual duties required me to participate in military drills with our army!  It would have been a poor showing if the Prince of all people was incapable of basic combat!”

He pulled open the bullet chamber and started to replace the used projectiles.  “I fenced as a hobby, along with the target shooting.  My tutor said I was excellent.  My parents gave my teachers free reign to criticize me as necessary, so I’m certain I can trust that opinion.”

The prince took one more long look out the road behind him.  “Certainly more now that I’ve actually shot at live targets…”

His voice died down as all that remained was the hum of the vehicle’s engine.  “Kaito… the freedom you wanted… I know you didn’t want it like this, but… is it what you hoped?”

Miku knew she was taking a great chance speaking to him of something so personal.  Something he’d confessed during her deception.  The prince’s long silence made her start to regret her curiosity until he finally answered her question.

“I’ve never felt more excited to be alive.”

 

Gakupo kicked the smoke bomb out of the moving train even as everything spun around him and nausea spread through his insides.  He looked over to Rin who was properly unconscious – which he needed anyway if he was going to get that bullet out without causing her even more pain.  But somehow his hands felt heavy, like lead.

“Ah… I think I might have overdone it…” he murmured, leaning back into a crate.  He reached into his backpack and pulled out a roll of bandages.  “When this wears off, I’ll make it up to you, Rin.  You’re so brave…”

With the mask on he hadn’t inhaled as much.  He shouldn’t pass out.  His foggy brain kept trying to convince him he deserved a nap for this, but he fought to stay awake so he could perform the surgery before Rin woke up.  It wouldn’t be long… 

“You’re so much braver than me…”

As he relaxed, waiting for the chloroform to wear off enough that he could properly hold a pair of forceps, he envisioned the face of the pink-haired assassin again and wondered who she used to be…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man, my google searches sure are fun.  “Can you use chloroform in a smoke bomb?” being the most amusing for this chapter.
> 
> I’m trying to still incorporate some of the historical elements of war and such without getting too close to what’s actually happening in the world right now.  It is unfortunate that the speeches of fascists are often quite similar.
> 
> It's also fun when you'd like to convey a French accent in a setting where France doesn’t exist, but yes, Sudland is intended to be an occupied France.  Luka’s use of the name “Cendrillon” is a nod to the French name of the fairy tale.  I suppose technically the rest of the cast is speaking German, but “Aschenputtel” isn’t quite as catchy as “Cinderella”, so ha.
> 
> The Rhune Valley is a stand in for the “Ruhr Valley”, which is actually in Germany and is even today a major industrial region in the country.  I’ve deliberately increased the size of Estmarch to be much larger than its real world counterparts to make the journey a bit more perilous for Kaito and Miku.
> 
> Songs: Three chapters in and no songs for Miku, but Ruby got one!  She’s singing [“Heart’s Lock”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkJGbYFf44c).


	4. Distorted Mirror

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A trip into Zweissen introduces Miku to potential allies as Miku hopes the polished Duke Ueki can help her and the Prince escape. But the quiet butler Len Kagamine seems to keep a lot to himself... making Miku wonder if she's already surrounded by enemies.

  
The radio blared yet another grand address from Estmarch's new "Grand General" as the blonde haired boy continued to lay out the silverware for dinner.  He was mostly tuning it out – whatever Tonio had to say, it wasn't terribly important to him.  One set of corrupt leaders switched out for another. 

His simple black uniform, tanned shirt, and red ribbon around his neck in lieu of a tie gave away his station to anyone who saw him.  His short ponytail was tied up high on the back of his head, held fast by a small black clip.

"Ah, Len, there's been a _slight_ change of plans for this evening!"

He took a deep breath and placed a calm smile on his face for his employer.  "Yes Duke Ueki?"

The duke was a middle-aged man in a crisp grey suit, his trim black hair puffed up into a small pompadour.  "A most urgent cable has reached me… we are to be the hosts of the two most important guests we've ever had the pleasure of receiving in the entire Rhune Valley!"

"Oh?  The new General is paying a visit already?"

Duke Ueki laughed politely at his butler.  "Ah, we have someone else in mind, though they _do_ hail from the capital.  I'm afraid we must keep it to the utmost secrecy however.  That's why I can only trust _you_ to pick them up."

"Ah… well, I would be honored, sir," Len replied.

'If it's not the Emerald Dawn… it could be someone else… an aristocrat maybe?  Someone the Duke wants to keep alive I guess…'

"I trust your judgement in ensuring they arrive safely.  Show them our utmost hospitality."

"But of course, sir.  Shall I finish setting up the table?"

"No no, I'll have Akiko take care of that.  Bring them in through the servant's entrance when you arrive… discretely of course."

'Safely?  Wonder if it's one of _them_.  Maybe this is going to get interesting after all.'

"Are the Loyalists aware of them yet?" Len asked politely.

The Duke was already departing for the kitchens.  "No, and we should be grateful for it!  They're causing enough trouble with their antics in Jungenfeld!  Fortunately, you'll be picking up our guests in Urntropp – far away from them."

 

Len drove down the streets of Urntropp.  From what he'd been informed, the duo had needed to abandon their car before arriving.  Apparently in their flight from the capital, they'd run out of fuel and found themselves walking the rest of the way.

Just hearing they were driving gave him some surprise – blue bloods driving _themselves_?  Len would have joked that they'd be as good as dead if they didn't have butlers to chauffer them around. 

'The girl has green hair and pigtails… the man is going to be wearing a white hood and blue scarf…'

He pulled up to the empty curb near the river port, as instructed.  Idling the car, he left the vehicle and stood up front.  The better to properly invite them in, like a proper butler.  His eyes wandered the mostly empty street – at this time of day, the workers had left for their midday meal.  Urntropp's metal refineries were their top industry, vital to the mighty Estmarch war machine, and much of it was processed in this part of the city.  He understood the work was steady but brutal.

With Len's low class, he was lucky to have the relatively cushy position he had, rather than toiling away and risking injury or death as he was ground up for the good of the Empire…

He looked up as he saw his mysterious guests arriving.  They stood out regardless of their appearance – both dressed in proper clothing instead of dusty overalls.  Maybe they weren't that smart… or maybe they'd had to run so fast they couldn't spare better clothing.

The girl reached him first and Len gave a proper bow.  "You are welcomed to Urntropp, my lady, my lord."

She certainly looked tired enough to have traveled from Heidlmont to Urntropp on foot.

He pulled open the backdoor for them and beckoned them to sit.  Of course the Duke's commands earlier had been rather contradictory, but that was to be expected.  He was quite tempted to glance under the man's hood, but that wouldn't be proper.  Besides, he'd probably find out who he was later anyway.  The Duke was so worried for secrecy that he'd dismissed all of his servants for the next few days save for himself and Akiko.

While the man entered first, the young lady stopped and stared at Len long enough to make him feel uncomfortable.  "Ah… miss?  Is something wrong?"

The young lady shook her head quickly.  "I… I'm sorry, you looked familiar."

A blush came to her cheeks as she quickly slipped into the car.

Once everyone was seated, Len began the drive back to Duke Ueki's home, keeping an eye on the mirrors for any unusual activity.  The guests remained utterly, frustratingly silent.  What fun was there in this job when they didn't gossip?!

The girl stared eerily forward, as if focused on some grander task.  But the man seemed utterly transfixed by the outside windows.  Len didn't understand why - Urntropp's factories hardly felt like anything worth watching.  The girl occasionally looked at the windows, but Len was somewhat unnerved by the way she kept staring into the mirror… watching _him._

 "I'd heard of the refineries out here, but where are the workers?"

"At midday?  They go home for their midday meal of course."

"Ah, how silly of me… well I'm certainly glad they have the time to visit their families!"

'Blue bloods… never worked an honest day in their lives…'

"Ah, I don't mean to bother you, but could you tell me where they're living?"

"They call it the 'Rust District,' Naoto.  It used to be a small city, Rosenstadt, but the industrial advancement of Zweissen sort of overtook it."

Len could make out a pair of inquisitive blue eyes under the man's hood.  "Is our schedule quite demanding?  I'd wish to see the Rust District myself if we can…"

The maiden seemed quite eager to put a stop to such a plan.  "Yes it is."

Len could read a great deal of tension in her voice.  "I can assure you there's nothing exciting about the Rust District anyway, sir," he tried to add, "It's quite a bit dangerous for people of our stature to be wandering around there."

'What kind of weirdo wants to gawk at the poor and the criminals anyway?'

For a while the drive returned to its silence, but Naoto still seemed obsessed with the surroundings.  "As I recall… the Rhune Valley includes seven cities, and farmland between… I hope our entrance didn't cause _too_ much damage."

"Well at least we drove through _after_ the harvest when the stalks were already dead.  It should be fine."

Len blinked.  What in the world had they been getting up to before he arrived?!  Had they had to escape from the Emerald Dawn or the Loyalists?

"I remember father speaking fondly of Zweissen… ah, young man!"

Len snapped to attention.  "Have you lived here all your life?  Could you tell me more about it?"

The driver wasn't used to being the subject of conversation.  Was he being mocked?  Well, an honest answer couldn't hurt anything.  "No… I used to live much further.  Out in the Grunebene.  My parents were of very humble means."

There, that should bore him enough…

"Oh!  Grunebene!  We used to get fresh produce during the winter from them!  A bit less the last few years though.  Were they badly affected by the war?"

Now Len had to watch his tongue.  He'd not had the courage to contact his family since he left Grunebene, but he'd heard of how much the food rationing had affected the people of that region.  And this blue blood was talking about feasting on fresh fruit and vegetables when they were doing without?

He was saved from having to find a delicate answer when the girl explained it instead.  "Naoto, Grunebene was tapped very hard to supply food for the army and to keep… ah… the aristocracy… from feeling too much of a pinch."

While "Really?!  I… I had no idea…"

Len couldn't quite understand this strange pair of people.  Did he actually care what happened?

Maybe he was a foreigner?  But his Estmarchian tongue was flawless.  "The poor… well, there are places for them to go.  The factories always need the labor if nothing else."

"So there's employment… that's good…"

 'Whoever this guy is… he's not going to make it a day in a place like the Rhune.'

He was worse than most aristocrats – he was an _idealist_.

Len almost felt a little sorry for him.  "Hey… since you're new here… if you get a chance, Retzgen Street after dark is one of Zweissen's best sights.  The whole strip has electric lighting now, we're quite proud of it."

"Really?  Even Vedunia only has it around the palace!"

Len chuckled before catching himself, but neither of his passengers appeared offended by his laughter.  "The Duke wants to spread it throughout the Rhune.  At least in all the big tourist spots first.  Zweissen is the biggest manufacturer in the country."

"So much progress!  It must be wonderful to live here!  Miku, have you ever been here?"

He watched the young girl clutch at her knees nervously.  "I haven't… this is my first trip."

"Then I hope it's pleasant for both of us."

The man was talking almost as if he was on vacation and there wasn't a civil war breaking out around him.  Len couldn't make him out…

 

'Another manor… another false name…' Miku thought to herself as she and "Naoto" sat in a fine lounge waiting for their host.

She couldn't banish her nerves – testing the loyalty of a Duke was asking for trouble, but she had no reliable way through the Rhune Valley herself.  If she could at least use his power to get through a few checkpoints…

'Still, they won't all be like the Lord Mayor of Liesenfall.'

Kaito, despite being a tad too talkative, seemed to be holding up better.  He was clearly relieved to be able to pull his hood back and his scarf down and being able to use his own name again. 

Miku saw the butler from before beckon them into the dining room.  "My Duke asks you to pardon the wait, but he is more than ready for you now."

Right now Miku was quite happy to at least have a solid meal to look forward to.

"Thank you!  Ah, I'm sorry, I don't think I got your name…"

The boy blinked in surprise.  Miku guessed most visitors rarely acknowledged him.

'That was why so many of us posed as servants… the ones everyone overlooks…'

"L-Len Kagamine, miss!"

And again as they passed into the dining room and Miku found herself with a good clear look at Len, she found his face unsettling.  She was certain she had never met the young man before today, but the shape of his face, his familiar hair, the color of his eyes… they did recall someone else to mind. Miku turned away from him before drawing too much attention again – she worried that his familiarity was an omen.

She needed less omens if she was to protect the Prince.

"Ah, it is good to finally meet you in person, Your Highness!  Your portraits don't do you justice."

Kaito looked surprised at the enthusiastic greeting from the Duke.  Miku tried to observe his face, but his smile was polite and calm as he bowed before Kaito.  The Prince rose to his feet.  "I'm terribly sorry to only be paying Zweissen a visit now… and under such unfortunate circumstances."

Kaito was surprisingly diplomatic with his response.  'Of course, he's a prince, this won't be the first time he's been forced to play nice like this.'

"I wish I could announce your survival outside of Zweissen but there are currently rebellious forces within the Rhune Valley as we speak.  As your young lady said, you're currently seeking passage out of Estmarch."

Miku interrupted.  "Yes, my Prince and I cannot stay long.  The sooner you can help us leave, the better."

The Duke looked rather perturbed at being interrupted by a commoner - a more common reaction than the one she'd gotten from Kiyoteru.  But he didn't berate her – useful to know.  "We can speak of such matters over lunch!  I'm sure you'll appreciate having a decent meal in you."

"Ah… yes, Miss Hatsune and I had to make do with smoked meat sandwiches… but it was really a trifle given the circumstances."

She smiled just a little, remembering Kaito's awe and amusement at slapping two pieces of bread together around salted meat and calling it "lunch" before Miku took a nap in the back seat of the rickety car.

The meal started off with small talk – Kaito asking various questions about life in Zweissen, the Duke asking about his journey.  Miku was never addressed – as she preferred.  She wanted to watch and observe.  But having a full stomach was helping to keep her focused.  Especially more rich food like this… and here she'd thought her night at the ball would be the last time she'd enjoy a grand meal.

Then the Duke asked rather pointedly how Kaito had survived such a deadly wound and gotten out of the castle.

Miku gripped the edge of her fork a little tighter.  She'd tried to come up with a lie in her head when this question inevitably came up, but then she'd find herself pulled back to the horrible night, to the bell tolling, to the moment the impulse struck her and she'd driven the knife into Kaito's body and…

"The assassin did deal me a cruel blow," Kaito said calmly, "but I have Miku here to credit for my survival.  A young lady of most exceptional courage who spirited me away to a fine surgeon as we made our passage out of the city."

She tried to gather a little more courage again.  "I'm sorry, I was only able to save the Prince."

"Well, you should be so lucky, my dear."

And just like that… she faded again as the Duke returned to only addressing a fellow aristocrat.

She kept watching the butler as he shuffled around performing his dinner duties.  Clearly, the Duke must have trusted him greatly or he wouldn't have been brought in on Kaito's true standing and name.  Now she felt downright silly using the fake names, but at least it was good practice for Kaito.

Nothing seemed entirely off about Len – he was mostly quiet except when explicitly addressed.  Utterly invisible despite being a constant presence.

But the familiarity of his face… like a mirror of another person?  She worried that this detail could be important… he wouldn't be a Cinderella, the Godmothers deliberately used girls.  But that didn't mean he wasn't potentially working with another enemy.

'If I were to send an assassin… I'd pick someone like that.'

She never took her eyes off him as he refilled her wine glass.

 

Kaito finished his preparations for bed, lying down on the soft mattress.  It wasn't _his_ bed… but he supposed princes generally received only the finest furniture.  It was still a far sight better than when he'd had to sleep in the car – he wasn't sure he'd recover from that kind of stiffness yet.

Plus the superior mattress was better for his injury…

He heard a knock at the door and quickly tossed on a proper robe, expecting one of the servants.  "Come in."

But instead of a servant, he saw Miku meekly enter, still dressed in her normal clothes.  "Miku?!  Did you need something?"

She raised her eyes toward him as she closed the door.  "Kaito… ah, your highness…"

Kaito didn't really feel there was a need to keep up such a pretense any longer.  Surely Miku had at least earned enough of his trust back to dispense with pointless titles.  "Kaito is still fine," he said calmly, "I'm not really the prince of anything right now, am I?"

She nodded her head softly, but her mood hardly seemed to improve.  She looked so fragile all of a sudden.  "Kaito, I thought I should… well… the Duke has been generous but… I thought you shouldn't be…"

Again her nerves seemed to be preventing her from speaking.  Kaito was starting to notice certain topics seemed more likely to unsettle his unusual body guard.  "… you shouldn't be alone!" she said quickly.

"Wait, you mean… in here?!"

And a little blush came to Miku's cheeks.  "I promise, I won't be a bother!  But we don't know when the next Cinderella is going to come for us!  If we're together, at least I can fight her off if she… well… if she were to…!"

Now Kaito was blushing as well.  Wasn't it just a _bit_ scandalous to have a woman in his room like this?  But he thought through her proposal with more care.  They'd already visited one home with a sleeping Cinderella inside.  There was always a chance the same could happen here as well.

He glanced over to the chaise lounge.  "It should be fine Miku… there's plenty of room to change your clothes in the bathroom."

Kaito sat down on his bed again as Miku departed to prepare for 'bed'.  'She's really that worried?'

Maybe she had right to be.  After all, Miku herself had easily infiltrated his own castle with the intent to kill him… even with some help doing so...

'My parents always told me our castle was impenetrable… so many soldiers and security measures… yet Tonio was able to slip her in with such ease.'

It did seem a little odd that Tonio could do that alone.  'He must have had more help to co-ordinate it… fake passes, removing security from around me…  And keeping my parents distracted must have taken even more work!'

His thoughts ceased as Miku emerged in a long white nightgown.  "You still have your weapons under that?  Won't you be uncomfortable?"

A smile began to form on her face again.  She did have a lovely smile… rare though it seemed to be. 

"I've taken the knives off, and I'll put the pistol under my pillow.  Do you have a spare I can make use of?"

Kaito glanced over to the chaise lounge as she realized what she was proposing.  "Now wait just a moment!  It's not proper for a lady to take the lesser bedding!"

But already Miku had taken a pillow from Kaito's bed and tossed it onto the lounge.  Kaito tried to argue with her more forcefully.  "I mean it!  I'm a gentleman and I…"

"… you are a prince.  I'm a servant.  I sleep here."

She lied down on the lounge to prevent him from kicking her off.  "Also, you're injured, and I'm not.  At least think of it like that.  You need to recover."

Kaito had to give up on this fight – Miku had outdone him.  At least the lounge looked comfortable.

He turned off the lamp by his bed, casting the room into darkness as he slipped under the covers.  He tried to ignore the fact another person was in the room with him, but it wasn't easy.

Especially when that person was Miku.

True to her word, she was utterly silent.  But with her here, the two of them alone, and his mind wandering to certain topics…

"Miku?"

"Yes, Kaito?"

She didn't even sound remotely tired. 

"Now that we're alone… there _is_ something I wish to ask of you…"

He suddenly realized how odd his request sounded.  "It's nothing indecent!"

He thought he heard her gentle laughter.  "We… don't know much about each other, do we?  I mean, I suppose you know _everything_ about me, my history is public knowledge.  But I know precious little about you.  Who you were before all this business began."

He reflected on their brief evening at the ball, when Miku was still a Countess of a "fairy tale land."  Of the sad story she told him about her family.

Miku's voice emerged from the dark.  "I… I wasn't completely lying when we met…"

Kaito realized how callous he'd sounded.  He wanted to reassure Miku that his intentions were friendly.  "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend!  I just wanted to know more about my companion.  We're going to be travelling so far after all."

Was it just hard for Miku to talk about herself and her own wants?  Whenever she spoke of the journey, she spoke with focus and strength.  But soon her heard her voice again.

"I mean, the business of my father passing, my stepmother, my stepsiblings… my mother… that was all true.  It's just, father was only a merchant, not a count.  We were well off when I was younger, but the third Rose War brought hard times upon our town.  My father dealt largely in exports and many of our trading partners were blockaded… and then my father died on the front lines."

Kaito clutched his pillow tightly.  The third Rose War took place just six years earlier, when he himself was only 14.  He guessed Miku to be in her late teenage years now… so she would have been even younger.

"Was he drafted?"

"Most of the men in my hometown were.  They didn't have a choice."

He felt that familiar knot pressing up inside his chest.  He couldn't have done anything about the events, he was only a naïve teen… and yet… it was still done in _his_ name…

"When I said we did without, Kaito… it was really more myself.  My stepmother pressed me into taking care of the home.  I did most of the chores…. So she and my step-sisters could live in something close to the luxury we used to have.  It didn't matter to her, I was just… an extra mouth to feed.  I didn't even have the luxury of heat, so I slept in front of the fireplace to keep warm… I'd wake up covered in soot and have to start working all over again…"

Didn't this story sound familiar?

"The Godmothers came to my home and bought me for… well, I imagine they would have paid my stepmother off pretty well.  She was an exceptional haggler.  And that's how _I_ wound up becoming…"

"…Cinderella."

Kaito couldn't help but finish the sentence.  Was this why Miku was sent after him, because of how perfect her story sounded?  'To just prey on an abused child like that though… how utterly vile.'

He tried to gently lay on his back but the shot of pain told him that wouldn't be wise.  He bounced over onto his uninjured side, hoping that would be enough.

"You know Kaito, while the Duke is arranging our passage out of the city, we could actually go and see Zweissen."

"Are you sure?!"

He tried to contain the excitement in his voice.  Being cooped up for his own safety wasn't something he was terribly interested in after all.  That's how he'd spent most of his life up until now.  But he hadn't dared wish to impose trying to preserve his safety long enough to take an actual day trip through this fascinating city.  "Of course.  I'll be with you to keep you safe.  You'll need to stay disguised, but as long as I'm with you… no harm shall come to you."

He could already imagine the electric lights, the busy workers, the many types of shops and parks and the river and…

"I'm sure the Duke won't mind!  If anything, he should be honored the Prince of Shion wishes to partake of his luxuries."

He laughed at his own ridiculous posturing.  "I've never seen it up close… I've only heard stories of its marvelous industrial accomplishments."

A trip out could do the both of them wonders… a brief respite from their grim journey…

A chance for him to see a large, bustling city as he'd always wanted to…

 

'Great.  The Duke gives me babysitting duty to _this guy?!_ '

Len naturally kept his annoyance to himself – outwardly, he was all polite smiles.  The Duke had basically tasked him to keep the Prince and his strange bodyguard out of trouble while he handled "business."

'Hope he's not selling him out already…' he thought to himself, 'I know the guy has no survival instincts, but that's a bit cold…'

Indeed, even though the Prince was properly covering his face, and in the chilly October cold nobody would think him anything but sensitive for wearing that long scarf, his behavior was anything but normal for an aristocrat.  Len had at first suggested driving up to the "Gilded Strip", where most of the high-end fashions and jewelry were sold, but the Prince wanted none of it – he'd seen so much to find it common.

So Miku had suggested taking Kaito to a proper street market.  While the well-to-do certainly patronized such establishments, it was a place they generally only sent their servants into.  Len had been so surprised he'd even asked if the Prince wanted to wait in the car… but Kaito insisted on going as well.

Their walk tended to get stopped by the oddest things grabbing Kaito's fancy.  Len had taken him an easy mark for the more aggressive street vendors, but lucky for the naïve Prince, his bodyguard was always ready to dive in the way and protect him from being taken in by false promises.  'He's lucky to have a girl that sharp with him!' Len thought to himself.

Even so, Kaito couldn't take his eyes off the craft work on display in so many of the stalls.  Walking amongst the common folk seemed to only charge him up, though he always seemed out of sorts when spoken to, stumbling through easy questions.  He'd insisted on a trip into a clock making shop, where he marveled at the artistry of what Len knew to be simply common clocks.  Len had been given a small allowance by the Duke to keep the young man happy, and sure enough, the Prince had purchased a pocket watch before they left.

Even so, he had to admit that he appreciated the Prince's manner when dealing with the non-moneyed classes.  He approached every shop keep, every worker, every vendor at a cart as if they were equals.   A far cry from what was expected of someone of his station, let alone the Shion house he hailed from.

Len meant to offer the young man advice on a nice restaurant before the Prince was lured away by the fresh scent of sausages from a small pub.  Now he would hear of nothing else but common bratwurst.  Miku didn't even stop him this time as the two of them went inside, dragging the confused butler along with them.

Len wouldn't have minded something a little fancier – after all, the Duke was paying for it and he never got to eat any of the fine foods prepared for his boss and his guests aside from a few scraps.  But still, fresh meat was fresh meat.

 

Miku watched as Kaito kept staring at his lunch in awe.  "We don't eat anything like this back home!" he said with a smile as he poked at it with his fork.

"Shhh… 'Naoto', you're going to draw too much attention…" she gently scolded.

Her eyes darted around the pub for anything out of place.  Truly, while the Prince was having some much-needed diversion from the horrible events he'd escaped from, for Miku it was causing a great deal of paranoia and work.  Checking every person in the crowd, trying to work out their allegiances.  Keeping the very innocent Prince from getting into trouble.  But even with that going on… she was starting to, just a little, find something pleasant in her life.

She hadn't been allowed to do this for years.

Somehow this was the best bratwurst she'd ever tasted.

It seemed that way for Kaito as well given how fast his disappeared.

"Ah!  Len, is there anywhere around here that sells ice cream?!" Kaito asked excitedly, "I'm sure a place like Zweissen has access to it!"

The strange look on the butler's face kept amusing Miku.  Kaito was an unusual person, and the poor servant seemed to be having trouble wrapping his head around the odd requests.  "Ah yes, 'Naoto' has always had a soft spot for ice cream," Miku said coyly.

As Kaito blushed with a little embarrassment, Len stumbled to compose himself.  Frankly, even if Kaito weren't a noble, it was still odd for a grown mad to covet sweets like he did.  "W-well, there is the shop on Jungenstrasse..."

"Eh?  There hasn't been any rationing in Zweissen?" Miku asked.

Len averted his eyes.  "My lord the Duke tries to secure… resources… for the downtown… so the shop keepers aren't hit too hard."

"Well… that's quite kind," Kaito said as he politely patted his face with a cloth napkin.

Miku wondered whether she should try to explain what she guessed the truth to be given how uncomfortable Len's answer was.  'No… for just a day… Kaito deserves peace… we haven't had any of that yet.'

She knew it would weigh heavily on him.

And soon they were paying for the sausages and off to the ice cream shop.  To Kaito, the many people in the streets must have been energizing – he seemed to love the sensation of others around him.  For Miku, they represented hundreds of dangers.  Any one of them could hurt him… any one could be a Cinderella… or worse…

The white masks at the ball had been Miku's silent tell that the higher ups of her organization were at the event, ensuring everything would go off properly.  At least that night Miku had some guess of who to trick and escape from… she didn't have that now.

There was only _one_ person she knew for certain was a Cinderella like herself.  Her old handler.

'She… she would know my habits best… even if I knew her face, it wouldn't matter if she surprised me… and…'

The ringing of the shop bell pulled Miku back out of her thoughts.  She was back in the present, trying to make Kaito happy.  At least when he was happy… it was selfish, but somehow she could steal some of that happiness for herself.

As the two of them wandered down the sidewalk eating ice cream cones, Miku watched the Rhune River flowing through perfectly manicured concrete streets.  None of the buildings here looked more than a few decades old – a city built up on progress.

"How's yours, Len?"

Of course Kaito had insisted even the _butler_ get something for himself.  Len looked so young, surely it was okay for _him_ to have something sweet?  The way the servant seemed to savor it, Miku guessed it was quite rare.  'I'm sure he's paid well… I wonder if he just doesn't treat himself very often?'

Kaito leaned against the cement railing and watched the water flow as he finished eating.  Miku joined him along the side, watching the butler settle nearby as he tried to enjoy his little snack.

"What I said last night… it wasn't all terrible times in the past…" she said quietly to the Prince.

He stopped eating for just a moment.  "I'm sorry to have made you relive that…"

"It's your right to know me.  All of me.  You're trusting so much to me."

'I don't deserve it.'

She watched the gentle water flowing, and part of her wondered how the city would look when the winter frost came and turned the river solid.  Did the people skate on it?  She used to do that, a long time ago…

"In the summers, father would take the family on vacation.  I think my favorite trip was the year he took us to the ocean… that was the last time I really remember having ice cream…"

Kaito perked up on hearing about the ocean.  "It must have been wonderful filled with people, swimming in the warm water… the salt spray and the sand…"

That was the only time she'd ever seen the sea, and Miku was struggling to recall all of the details properly.  Whenever she thought about her past… the time before her joining the fairy godmothers was always distressingly dark and jumbled.  But as Kaito described the ocean in his dreams, Miku could just barely conjure up that lost vacation that she'd held so deep within her heart.

"When Estmarch is peaceful again… I'd like to see the ocean for myself."

Kaito had already finished his sugary snack.  "It sounds fantastic when you describe it!"

 

The trio of unlikely visitors were down to simply wandering in the streets.  Kaito continued to watch the people around him with a broad smile on his face.  "I have to admit, I was kind of worried at first… after what I saw back in Liesenfall, and Kiyoteru said that most of the country was in that kind of shape… but it's good to see Zweissen is still humming along.  Everyone seems so well off."

Upon hearing Kaito's words, Len slowed his pace.  He was trying his hardest to stay quiet, but this man was being so utterly insensitive... he bit his tongue lest he say something completely out of line…

"I'm certain now even the workers are happy in a city like this…"

"Do you just… are you completely blind?!  Are you just that easily fooled?!"

Len felt his patience peak as he spoke out of turn, his voice raising along with his tone.  He regretted it at once – this was the _Prince_ and he'd just screamed at him.  But now that he'd certainly thrown his job away, he had to finish and make it worth it.  "These streets are built by those with less, for the enjoyment of people like _you!_   Even the sausage we had for lunch was rationed out, taken for Zweissen lest the nobility out here spend even a day feeling the hunger that the rest of the country suffers through!  The glass on our table was built by children getting paid pennies!"

He dared to raise his eyes up at Kaito again.  "There are people dying out there _right_ _now_ for the sake of your family while this stupid civil war is starting!  And you just wanted to play around in town and hide from it?!"

"STOP IT!"

It wasn't Kaito who interrupted Len, but Miku.  "You… you don't know anything about us!  Where we came from or what we've gone through!"

She was trembling, though Len couldn't tell if it was from anger or fear.  "This outing was _my_ idea… he deserved a day in the illusion of happiness because he's lost everything… I just wanted to give him that…"

Finally the Prince spoke for himself.  "First of all… I'm sorry if my words seemed callous, Len.  I assure you they were born of ignorance, not malice.  My existence has been far more sheltered than I wanted it to be."

An apology.  From _the Prince_.  "You don't make any sense…" Len muttered.

"I can't help that, unfortunately.  But… thank you for being frank with me.  I'd far prefer a harsh truth than a polite lie."

The Prince turned to Miku next.  "It wasn't all bad… I know this may have been an escape… but I thought you needed it as much as I did.  It was a learning experience, right?"

The sun was already tinting the sky a red shade.  "Len, we should probably head back to the manor.  And while we go… I want you to spare me no details about the true state of the Rhune Valley.  The Rust District… child labor… all of it."

"What would it matter?" Len murmured.

"Because I intend to bring it all up myself with the Duke at dinner."

Len choked in surprise.  "The  Duke profits handsomely from this arrangement.  He won't just let _anyone_ tell him how to run the Rhune."

Now Len finally saw an emotion he'd yet to see on the Prince's face.  Anger.  "I'm _not_ just anyone.  I'm the Prince of Estmarch.  Perhaps that will count for something."

 

As Miku and Kaito returned to the manor, parting ways with Len, Miku was wishing she could make Kaito see reason.  The stories Len told him about the way the lower classes suffered in Zweissen had upset his sense of justice, and while before Miku had found that Kaito's most admirable trait, right now it was terrifyingly close to undoing him.

"Kaito… I know you're upset, but I think it would be wiser to think of such matters later," Miku said, "We're still relying on the Duke's kindness!"

"I can't just stand by and protect myself while others are suffering!" Kaito argued as he strode inside, "This must stop!"

They brushed by the only other servant aware of his presence – Akiko, who was in charge of serving meals.  "Kaito, you have to survive all the way to Westheim!  If you upset him, he might not support you any longer!  We'd be on our own!"

She worried she'd have no other way to reason with him.  "Kaito, it doesn't matter what your title is right now!  Not in the middle of a coup!  'The Prince of Estmarch' is dead..."

Her throat hitched up at saying that…

"... if you want to restore your power, you have to accept that you might need to work with people like him to get it back!"

Kaito stopped his marching.  "You're asking me to accept that my survival might come at the expense of others…"

He turned to Miku, his eyes seemingly burning with his passion.  "If I let the Duke have his way now… then what happens when I come back to power?!  Will he accept my meddling if he had a hand in my ascension?!"

She didn't have a solid answer for that.  "I'm… I'm only saying…"

The Prince took a deep breath, calming himself.  "I at least need to know how much my parents supported this.  Right now, they're both still alive.  If they come back, my title will mean very little.  This is the one chance I have to make any kind of change with the Duke."

Miku found herself trying to come up with a proper response.  She didn't like the option in front of her – of supporting the structure of Estmarch that preyed upon the weak.  She also didn't want Kaito to get killed.  And he wasn't wrong either – she didn't have much faith in the King and Queen of Estmarch to press for change, regardless of what Kaito wanted.

"If it will ease your worries, then I'll try and be diplomatic about it.  Regardless of how strongly I feel, I'm sure there's a way to broach this without insulting him."

 

It wasn't long before the two were set up at the dinner table awaiting their host… Miku feeling like she was waiting for a bomb to go off.  Akiko laid their food out, along with three glasses of wine as the Duke entered, his housemaid departing.

"I do hope the two of you have found Zweissen to your liking!" he said, with that odd smile on his face.

He seemed to observe Kaito's face and already noticed the Prince's dour mood.

"Oh dear, I'm afraid something isn't entirely to your liking, is there?  Was Len not a good host?  Sometimes he can be rather quiet…"

Miku examined the food on the table and found something odd about the arrangement.  The meal didn't seem anywhere near as fancy as the one the night before.  'Is he trying to save money?' she thought, 'Last night he was trying to impress us…'

She started to examine the food more closely.

"No my lord, Len was an exceptional driver and very _informative_ about Zweissen's history," Kaito said calmly.  He seemed to be trying to keep his promise to stick to diplomacy.  "I was most impressed to see how well your central district is holding up given the hard times around Estmarch."

"Well certainly you have that experience as well, my Prince?" the Duke responded, "I doubt you ate grains and water at the palace."

There weren't many servants around either… originally that had been done to keep Kaito's identity a secret, but even then Miku had found it strange for such an extravagant man to forgo his staff for an unknown period of time.  There were only the two people she knew… Len… and Akiko.

Akiko prepared the dinner tonight, but she was nowhere to be seen… and… neither was Len.

"Indeed, but I've been thinking about the need for a change at home given the circumstances in the capital slums.  Actually, I didn't see any such arrangements today, but I've heard the workers live in… what did I hear it called… the 'Rust District?'"

Kaito and the Duke were so absorbed in conversation neither seemed to take notice of Miku testing a small bite of food from his untouched plate.  She waited a few moments as they continued talking to try and rule out any side effects.

"Oh, that's just a colorful name!  Because so many of the workers spend their days in the factories!"

The Duke seemed to find the conversation utterly hilarious.  "I can assure you, if you're concerned about their housing, their accommodations are provided freely to them…"

Kaito tried to avoid being pinned down in the conversation.  "That may… well be… but are they there by choice?  Could they ever hope to save enough money to leave?  Can they even leave at all?"

As the Duke let out a calm laugh, he looked towards a painting on the wall depicting the very central district of Zweissen that Miku and Kaito had visited earlier that day.  "Why should they ever leave?  They have what they need!  And surely it's better that they stay where they can be of use then roaming our streets?"

While the Duke was looking away, Miku slipped Kaito's wine glass away from him and took a long sip.

After a few seconds, a tingling sensation crept up the back of her throat.

"Kaito, the wine is poisoned!"

Kaito sprang up in surprise as Miku promptly drew her pistol… as the Duke followed up as well.  "Well at least I don't feel quite so guilty turning the Prince over now," he said, still with that infuriating smile on his face, "I'd hoped this wouldn't be so messy, but I'm sure my benefactors won't be upset if I have to bring a corpse back…"

Miku cocked the hammer of her pistol at him.  "You tried to have this both ways, didn't you?!" she shouted.

"Well the Loyalists weren't willing to offer me anything… and there were certain parties that offered me _everything_ in exchange for cooperating."

The pistol began to shake in her fingers as the poison raced through her faster than she expected… Miku had taken so many poisons to build up a tolerance to many of the common ones, but that didn't mean they had no effect… only that she could expect not to die from one.

Before the Duke could fire, a loud metallic bang sounded out from behind him.  The pistol fired in his hands, harmlessly damaging the chandelier above them.  As Duke Ueki slumped forward, Miku could just barely make out Len standing behind his now-unconscious boss, holding a massive metal serving tray that now bore a rather large dent from slamming into his boss's head.

"Well… that's one way to tender a resignation I guess…" he muttered, looking up to Miku and Kaito, "We need to get out of here!  I locked Akiko up in the kitchen!  Wherever you want, I'll drive you there!"

Len nearly jumped as he heard a loud pounding from the kitchen door.  "Crap, she must be one of them!  Let's not escape that way!"

Miku had so many questions for the now-former butler, but her hands started to shake again.  She felt Kaito grab her hand.  "Miku… I'll help you escape…" Kaito said softly.

He sounded so frightened… of what had happened?  For her?

 

As Kaito and Len threw his and Miku's bags in the back of the Duke's car, he cursed his own ignorance.  To think that a few stern words would change someone so set on an abusive course… 'And it didn't even matter, he was already plotting against us well before I arrived…'

He felt like a fool, speaking of things he couldn't possibly understand, to yet another person that was willing to let him embarrass himself to lower his guard and kill him…

Miku looked so pale, ready to fall over.  She'd even taken poison for him, because he was so stupidly naïve…

"Kaito… I'm so sorry…" Miku said, "This is all my fault… I shouldn't have taken you anywhere near someone the Godmothers had told me about…"

She stumbled so suddenly that Kaito reached out and grabbed her to keep her from collapsing.  "Why would you take that anyway?!  Do you care so little for your own life?!"

Len looked up nervously at the house.  "We'd better go before he wakes up and calls the police…"

"Because I can survive poison… you can't…" she mumbled.

Kaito let Miku fall into his arms, setting her up in the back seat before he followed her inside next.  Len began to speed away from the wretched manor, but all Kaito could focus on was the sick girl so close to him.  "I… I'm so sorry…" she murmured again, "I've brought you nothing but misery…"

As the car sped through the lit streets of the evenings, Kaito couldn't assuage his guilt.  Had Miku even had the chance to enjoy what precious little time they had where they could pretend there was no danger after them?  He just wanted to give her some small comfort as her body fought off the toxic substance.  "Miku… it's fine… the Duke didn't work out but… we found Len…"

The driver let out a hearty laugh.  Apparently, Len had been suppressing a more robust personality as a servant.  "I don't know what I can do for you, but getting you away from the Godmothers?  Ha, it was worth it!"

He swerved so suddenly that Kaito and Miku slid around the back seat and Kaito let out a cry as he smacked right into his stitches.  "Crap, you okay?!   I didn't think it was that sudden!"

Kaito tried to brush off the throbbing from his injury.  "I took a rather serious wound escaping the capital… I think I may have bumped it…"

"Oh, crap, really?  I'll try and go a little easier on you then!"

Miku's color didn't appear to be improving and Kaito spotted beads of sweat along her face.  "Miku… is there anything we can do to treat you?" he asked helplessly.  Trying to be positive was all he could do… he couldn't take the poison out of her…

"Ch…Charcoal tablets…" she whispered, "I have some on my left thigh pouch…"

Kaito tried to maintain his decorum as he slipped his hand underneath Miku's skirt.  He wasn't trying to ravish her, he was trying to help her!  As his hands touched a thin leather bag strapped tightly to her leg, he couldn't believe how good Miku was at hiding valuables and weapons.  He undid the bag and felt several odd glass vials inside… and two smooth chalky tablets, just barely big enough to fit in her mouth.

"It won't be very pleasant… my apologies…" he whispered as he handed the black lumps to Miku.  She didn't even complain as she slipped them into her mouth, chewing on them and fortunately successfully swallowing.

"Hey, if you need more… where we're going, there's plenty of it!" Len said, "You wanted to see the Rust District?  Well that's the best damn place to hide out, even from a guy like the Duke!"

Kaito wished he could have some of Len's energy right now as she tried to keep Miku safe.  'To care about the life or death of the woman who tried to kill me…' he thought.

As Miku's condition seemed to stabilize, Kaito had just one more question for Len.  "I must know, did you work with the Fairy Godmothers?  You seem to know a lot about them."

For several moments, Len stayed silent as the car continued its journey through Zweissen.  Kaito even caught sight of the ice cream shop where he'd shared such pleasant stories with the shaking girl who was now resting on his side.

"The Duke did from time to time.  I kind of suspected Akiko was one of them, honestly.  I was always just waiting for my chance to get back at them, honestly.  They… They took someone precious to me… and she didn't make it."

The bright lights began to fade in brilliance as Kaito gathered the trio were now departing the finer parts of the city.  "I can't make her come back from the dead… but I can get some measure of revenge by taking away their prize target."

"I'm sure… it's what she'd have wanted…"

 

"How's that leg feeling tonight?"

Rin hobbled around on her crutch through the street behind Gakupo.  She stuck her tongue out at the doctor playfully.  "It feels exactly how you'd think it does!"

The "Rust District" was certainly living up to its name – the houses and buildings were neat and orderly, built proudly from now rusty Estmarchian steel.  Perhaps at one time they'd been far more livable, but time had damaged them to the point that the familiar color was everywhere.  Which meant, as passage out of the Rhune Valley clamped down, there was plenty of work to do for a traveling doctor and his nurse.  Within hours of their arrival in the far reaches of Zweissen via the cargo train, Gakupo had caught wind of a makeshift medical camp trying to treat the desperately ill and injured workers, as well as the refugees of the increasing violence.

'So much of Estmarch has people that slip through the cracks…' Rin worried, 'If we hadn't turned up here… who knows what would have happened to some of them…'

Rin handed her crutches off to Gakupo as she tried to pull herself up the rail inside the ramshackle boarding house they'd chosen to make their current base of operations.  The last step gave her some trouble, but Gakupo was quick to catch her before she fell, handing her the crutch along the way.  "Now now, let's only have one leg on crutches, okay?"

Rin made it up the last step with Gakupo's help, and he rushed ahead to get the door for her.  "I'll get the supper started… we wouldn't want you burning down the boarding house, right?"

Gakupo grunted in annoyance, but he let Rin work her way over to the tiny stove.  He sat in front of the window, tinted over by age, as Rin grabbed for a pot and stuck it under the sink.  "I suppose we're fortunate that Luka person hasn't come back, aren't we?"

Rin felt a shiver slip through her.  She'd been so frightened to see a Godmother in front of her.  The one who'd given her orders, who'd overseen her development into the frightening killer she'd once been.

Yet in the moment… she'd realized that Gakupo was in so much more danger than her.  He wasn't a fighter at all, and Luka was so good at fighting, she could have cut him to shreds if she'd wanted to.  Her urge to protect subdued her fear…

But Luka wouldn't let her go.  None of them would.  Sooner or later, they'd seek her out again.

"Such lovely eyes she had… I wonder who she used to be?"

Rin nearly dropped the full pot of water in shock.  "GAKUPO!  She's not just… she's not like a 'girl' girl!  She's a killer!  The next time she sees either one of us, she's going to cut our throats!"

Gakupo had a lot of good points.  His surgical skill obviously, but also his huge heart and endless understanding.  But he could also be _too_ understanding.

Especially for people he found attractive.

"Ah, well, I mean, I don't expect to run into her again…"

He _definitely_ expected to run into her again.

"But let's say I did… what was she like?"

Rin sighed as she the water.  "Look, you know how we are… how I… _was_ …"

She leaned on one of her crutches and started to make her way to a chair at the same table.  "When I first knew her, they hadn't completely squashed all of 'Luka' out of 'Luka' yet, but she was… intense.  Dedicated to the cause.  I don't think they needed much work to get her to join, and less to make her kill."

Rin could recall her early days of training.  Luka wasn't her only mentor… and she was the only one she remembered having that didn't beat or starve her.

"She still had… mercy… then.  She was more focused on teaching me techniques, focusing my mind… but it was a hard rule that who we were before didn't matter anymore, and they did _anything_ they could to get that out of us.  So Luka's been with them even longer than I was… there probably isn't much left of what she used to be."

"What a tragic affliction…"

"ACK!  Gakupo, no!"

If he was already seeing this as a _disease_ …

He turned to Rin and gave her that dopey smile that he thought made him look charming.  "Now now, Rin, I don't like to think in terms of possible and impossible."

His smile grew more controlled.  "I'd rather not forget when I took you in, and how you were that night.  You're not that person now.  So is it not correct of me, in my capacity as a physician, to keep an open mind in the face of even afflictions of the mind and spirit?"

Rin sighed and picked herself up as she saw the boiling water.  "I just want you to be careful, okay?  Don't get yourself killed if she doesn't turn out like me, okay?"

She reached for the pasta noodles.  "Well, you certainly set the bar quite high!  You're an incredible nurse, a talented cook, a studious housekeeper, and I dare say my clinic would fall apart without your cheer!"

Rin felt an odd tingling around the corner of her eyes.  She was only the way she was now because Gakupo had been so patient with her then.

No wonder he thought he could simply do that for every damaged person he met.

'Treat it like a disease.'

But she couldn't stay with him forever.  She had a life to live for herself as well.

'Well… I can do that once I find my family.'

She still had such faded memories of them.  She was young when she was picked up.  She vaguely remembered money changing hands, being told that her family cast her off… that she was worth nothing to them but the coin and the release of the burden of a useless child…

… but Rin didn't believe that anymore.

And every time she looked in a mirror, she could always see not only her own face… but her brother's as well.

'Len, wherever you are… I'll keep looking for my knight.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ha, I'm only four chapters in and starting to realize maybe pulling all my chapter titles from the same song is going to cause a little trouble. Then I remembered "Oh yea, Adolescence exists and this is Len's big intro!" I already got asked if Adolescence would come up. Don't expect a swarm of twincest in this story though, I don't actually ship Rin and Len like… at all, let alone as siblings.
> 
>  
> 
> This chapter may well be me including two of the most obscure Vocaloids ever made. Both Ueki and Akikoloid are private vocals, and really you only tend to know about them if you're a super nerd or you're someone like me scrambling to find more male Vocaloids to include in your cast and boy is it convenient Ueki is based on a much older person! I didn't want to create the impression in this story that only female Vocaloids are dangerous, even if the Fairy Godmothers and Cinderellas are all women.


	5. Unstable Heartbeats

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Forced into hiding in the Rust District, Miku recovers from her poisoning as Luka descends into the district in hot pursuit. As guilt continues to crush Miku's heart, Luka believes she doesn't have one until a crisis forces her into taking a new perspective...

The carnage in front of Luka in Duke Ueki's dining room struck her as out of proportion to the events she'd been informed of.  When she'd gotten to the closest telephone to call her central contact, Iroha had reported that the Prince and the Cendrillon she sought were within Duke Ueki's home and would be dealt with by the Cendrillon posted within the home.  She'd expected to simply confirm the bodies were the people she sought.

Now, mere hours later, both targets had vanished into thin air with the Duke's butler, and the Duke lied violently stabbed to death in the dining room as the police wandered through his home looking for more clues.

She stayed out of the investigation with ease – the police had been informed of her presence through her contacts, letting her glide in after she answered a few basic questions.  Nobody paid any attention to her as she sought out the _true_ answers to the dreadful events.

And eventually she found the maid, Akiko, fussing around the kitchen as she tried to keep herself together.  The girl wore her hair up in a great, reddish pink bun, and she kept fiddling with the white apron on her blue and white striped dress.  As Luka approached her, the girl turned her head up, looking weary.  "Are you the next investigator?"

Luka ensured she was out of earshot before she whispered a few words into Akiko's ear.

"At the stroke of midnight, the carriage becomes a pumpkin."

Akiko's tears broke.  She stood up quietly and led Luka away from the busy investigation.  Soon they were outside again, as she and Luka entered a garden shed together.

Finally out of sight of the police, Akiko's guise dropped, her animated tears and nervous habits fading.  "You must be the one Iroha sent over.  As you can see… the Duke utterly failed in handling them."

Luka leaned against a wall just near the garden tools, the sharp hedge clippers just near her shoulder.  "And Cendrillon killed him on the way out?"

The maid looked terribly unconcerned with the fate of her "boss".  "The butler must have gotten wind of the plan and locked me in the closet.  By the time I'd gotten out, all three of them were gone and the Duke was stammering with excuses.  I didn't kill them right away at his insistence – and Iroha wanted me to follow his orders while he was still on our side.  But _then_ I learned he was trying to sell them to the highest bidder… so I took care of him.  Iroha told me to eliminate him if he got in the way."

As expected, the "maid" shared no emotions over the killing.  "It will be easier to catch them if we can set the police on them as the murderers of Duke Ueki.  It will greatly limit their avenues of escape."

She crossed her arms as she looked to Luka for further instructions.

"For the time being, you should stay here and monitor the investigation.  Cendrillon is my task.  Iroha will contact you when she has your next assignment."

"Acknowledged," the girl stated.  "If Len Kagamine ran away… he likely took them to the Rust District.  He has friends out there, in the underworld.  What you need to look out for are the Loyalists.  Len would have that intelligence… so the Prince may attempt to seek them out soon."

Luka looked incredulous.  "I can't simply search the entire Rust District… but I suppose we can't let the police just stumble onto the person he escaped _with_ … they still believe him dead…"

She was already plotting how to tighten her net… the escape had taken place so shortly before, so someone would have seen them enter the district.  Someone would know, even innocently, about three missing people.  The police would distribute photos to the press, at least of the butler… Akiko would know to leave out an accurate description of the Prince lest questions about the legitimacy of his assassination arose…

The question was… were they planning to meet up with the _other_ missing Cendrillon?  She wondered how much of a coincidence the butler sharing such a unique surname with the _other_ Cendrillon could be.

'No… that's not important now.  Only finishing the last job.'

 

Miku pulled the ragged blanket closer.  She hated the cold more than anything in the world.  While the rundown home she and her compatriots had taken refuge in did possess a radiator, the old thing barely felt like enough heat for her.  The poison seemed to leave her shivering as its final effects passed through her.

Her body had purged the toxic meal not long before, as she'd doubled over and wretched before entering the house.  Kaito had looked almost as sick as she felt, but he still dutifully carried her inside.  Len had tried to talk her into seeing a doctor in the makeshift medical camp, but she'd insisted otherwise.

Just as she'd carried him… after she'd stabbed him…

Kaito never strayed far from her bedside, constantly checking on her condition.  He seemed so worried… and she hated that.  She despised that he cared so much for her fate when she didn't deserve it.  He didn't speak – maybe he assumed she was trying to sleep?  He'd laid her down on the rusty bed, and taken to sitting in a wooden chair.  If he was tired, he wasn't willing to sleep.

Len was already gone, trying to get his bearings for news, information on escape routes, and any potential supplies they could gather in case they were trapped inside the city.  Doing a better and more responsible job than Miku had.

The poisoning was what she deserved.

She deserved this.

It was hardly the first time she'd been poisoned, but it was the first time she'd taken an intentionally lethal dose.  'If Kaito had taken this, I don't know that even the charcoal would have stopped it from killing him…'

The shivering intensified as Miku curled up to try and stop it.  She felt a jacket drop over her and looked up to see Kaito pulling his own long white coat over her body.  "Ah… I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you…" he whispered.

She nodded and rolled away, not having the courage to look at him.  He spoke no further as she slowly drifted into an uncomfortable sleep.  A wretched dream began to take hold as she left the bed, her rags transformed into white fineries.  A pumpkin-shaped coach awaited her as she rode through the golden streets that shone with the blinding light of the moon.  Soon she was inside the castle, in a room full of people with white masks, their wretched smiles filling her with fright.

The prince turned and he alone bore a true smile, without concealment.  He kissed his masked mother lightly on the cheek, patting his masked father on the shoulder.  "I must dance with that girl, she's the most beautiful woman I've ever seen!"

The two waltzed across the ball room, a sea of white masks jeering at her, trying to overpower the innocent kindness of the prince.  "It's fine… no one can hurt us here.  This castle is safe."

A woman with pink hair passed her by, shattering her enchantment.  "Take your blade and steal everything from him," she whispered, disappearing again into the sea of masks.

The bell tolled and an impulse ran through Miku's body.  She began to cry as the prince kissed her tears away, but it was too late.  "NO!" she shouted as she thrust her knife deep into his body.

The red light from the stained glass window cast down upon the both of them as he collapsed upon the floor.  She had done this, she had taken his life, and now she only wanted to stay with him, counting out his heart beats, waiting for the warmth to leave him even as her fingers turned red from the blood running out of his wound...

 

Luka walked with the endless march of workers returning to the Rust District at the end of the day.  It mattered not to them that another ruler had been brutally assassinated.  The factories still functioned and industry still marched on.

They were blunt tools in complex machines.

Like her.

'The Prince is injured, and one of them took poison.  There aren't proper hospitals out here, but there are medical services.'

With the violence approaching the city thanks to the Loyalist uprising, she expected the flow of new people to only intensify.  For the moment, Zweissen was a tight trap, but if conflict broke out, her targets could be savvy enough to try and reach them.

'They won't be the only ones with intel in the underworld… we just need to be careful about how I reach them.'

Iroha had scolded her on the phone – Cendrillons turning were rare, but now Luka had confirmation that _two_ people she'd mentored had abandoned their posts.  She needed to get them both to wipe her slate clean.

'Iroha tipped me off to an abandoned bakery I can make use of… it would be wise of me to set up in there during my investigation…'

Her path took her into a district with fewer inhabitants, and less light.  She recognized the broken building at once, the faded sign announcing its use.  Another victim of the fast-moving economy.  She tried the back door – locked.  No deadbolt – she could pick it then.

Lock picking was _basic_.

The door swung open and she slipped a hand under her coat, wrapping it around a knife handle as she entered the building.  The door creaked shut behind her as she observed what remained of the old bakery.  A thin layer of dust coated every surface.  A wooden table rested in the kitchen with a metal stool, the only real furniture she could see so far.  She walked inside, running her fingers along the ancient baking oven.  A newer kitchen would have electric appliances, but this one would require wood.

For a moment, the kitchen drew another familiar scent to her – the memory of fresh crescent bread chocolate in the window sill.  Of tasting pain au chocolats first thing in the morning.  Of a song surrounding her while stirring the melted chocolate.  The melody danced around her head, for just a moment, but the lyrics didn't quite emerge.

'Where did I even hear that?'

The memories faded as Luka's mission returned to the front of her mind.  She marched into a back room, finding a small mattress, a cracked mirror, and an old telephone.  "So… this is it then…"

It would be enough.

Her next step was to find a newsstand.  The Duke's murder would make the papers, and while Luka already knew the facts of the matter, knowing how it was to be presented publicly would aid her search.

She sat down on the mattress, hearing the coils squeak as she did so, and picked up the telephone.  She gave the operator the false name – Catherine Noir – and after a few minutes of connections, she heard Iroha's voice on the other end.

"Luka Megurine.  I've arrived at the drop point."

The girl practically purred into the phone.  "The city should be sealed off.  There's nowhere to run for our little lost Cinderellas."

Unlike most of the Cendrillons and Godmothers, Iroha spoke with playful emotion.  "We'll be watching you, Luka.  We're already quite concerned that two of your Cinderellas have escaped under your watch.  Tie up the loose ends and come back to the capital, lest we run out of use for you."

"Of course."

She'd expected the reprimand.

"Ohhhh!  And please don't forget… you're not supposed to be dealing with your vendettas.  Just kill the Prince quickly and cleanly, yes?"

Her fingers curled tightly around the receiver.  "Of course," she repeated.

As her superior hung up on the other end, Luka slammed the phone down.

What did it matter how he died, so long as he _did_ die?

She didn't intend to _enjoy_ his death.  Only… she wanted it to fill the emptiness left behind from the smoke and ashes.

For a moment, Luka started to try and recall the melody from the bakery of her dreams, but once again it evaded her.

As she imagined being the one killing the Prince, her heartbeat quickened.  She was supposed to be unemotional, but killing a Shion Royal had been her only goal in life since the day Sudland fell.  She yearned to be the one given the assignment, only to be passed over for her student.  Now it was finally hers.  How she imagined thrusting the knife in again and again, filling him with the pain she'd used to fuel her ever since the fires came for her home.

When he was dead, nobody would even care about her being humiliated by an idiot doctor and a reckless chloroform bomb.

She took a few moments to rest on the mattress.  She didn't need much sleep.  She never slept much anyway.  The past would overtake her slumber, and she'd always awaken within a few hours as the nightmares of escaping the fires that consumed her old life threatened to overtake her…

 

"Miku?  I'm sorry to wake you, but there's some lunch waiting for you."

As Miku awoke from the nightmare, she was aware of the bright light in the room for the first time.  Her eyes wandered up to Kaito, who stood incredibly close by.  "Um… I guess only if you're hungry… I mean I guess you were rather ill before, maybe you can't…"

But a roaring emptiness in Miku's stomach made her push herself up and out from under the blanket and Kaito's coat.  He extended a hand and she took it, steadying her feet with the Prince's aid.  The worst of the poison must have finally passed because she didn't feel anything more than a few traces of dizziness left.  The charcoal and purging had done its job.

"Do you need help walking?" Kaito asked.

The girl shook her head and released his hand, taking solid steps forward into the small kitchen.  The dingy wooden table had three bowls of soup on it, laid out so precisely with the rusted silverware that Miku assumed Len must have set it all up.  But she saw the blonde haired boy in a corner near a scruffy sofa, tuning a massive radio unit, cursing under his breath as nothing more than static emerged from it.  "Come on… maybe if the antenna goes like this…"

"Len, perhaps you can take a short break and eat?  It might help you out to have another perspective on it."

She checked a clock on the wall and saw to her consternation it was already noon.  "Did either of you sleep?" she asked with worry.

"Yea, Kaito and I took shifts on the couch so one of us was always with you," Len said as he released the radio dials, wandering over to the kitchen table and grabbing himself a seat, "Mostly him though.  I kept telling him to try and sleep, but he wouldn't hear of it… I came back with all these vegetables too and I was all set to make something, but the Prince here wouldn't even let me near the stove…"

Kaito beckoned for Miku to sit.  "It's only proper that I do my part," he said nonchalantly, "You are both risking your lives for me, taking up some of the simpler tasks is the least I can do to show my gratitude."

Miku took her seat as Len plopped down into a chair for himself.  "It's pretty impressive to get a meal served by the Prince of Estmarch!" the boy said with a broad smirk.

For all the ribbing he was getting, Kaito seemed to be taking the jokes in stride as he tasted his own cooking.  Miku dipped her spoon in the broth.  Nothing seemed terribly amiss.  She swallowed the first bite and to her surprise… it was actually reasonably good.  Nobody would mistake it for the work of a master chef, but it was clear Kaito had put some effort into cooking at some point in his life.  "Ah… it's not the same way Alys makes it, but I guess I did an admirable job of it," Kaito said wistfully.

"Alys?" Len asked, "Does your Highness often make friends with his staff?"

Again the Prince received the joke well.  "Given how much time I spent stuck in the castle," Kaito said, "I had more than a bit of time to myself.  When I was free of studies, I had little true duties and no access to the outside world, so I had to make do with whomever I could find.  I discovered many of the people within the castle were far more pleasant to deal with than the nobles, and far more useful teachers of certain practical skills.  I learned a little of cooking, cleaning, and even some gardening so I could tend to grandmother's roses…"

Miku had an odd mental image of Kaito, in his princely garb, bustling around a hot kitchen like he were a common servant.  Certainly nobody would stop the Prince from asking to partake in such drudgeries, though she could already imagine the shock on their faces when such a powerful person asked to wash the dishes.  "Did your parents ever object to you spending your time like that?"

The Prince laughed again.  "Oh, I think they were _surprised_ but they never stopped me.  They were always so busy with… political meetings… that I wasn't allowed to be a part of anyway."

Kaito let out a sad sigh.  "I… I only hope the servants escaped safely… they must have been taken by surprise as well.  Perhaps the Emerald Dawn would let them live given their lack of status."

For a few moments they ate in silence.  Miku guessed that Len was thinking along the same lines as her – perhaps the Emerald Dawn wouldn't specifically target a gardener or a cook, but if they were planning a proper takeover, they wouldn't go out of their way to spare them either.  'It sounds like Kaito was particularly close with some of them… were they his only real friends?'

She didn't want to plant the idea in his head that his losses could include a beloved friend as well.

As the meal finished, Kaito began to reach for the empty bowls before Len stopped him.  "Come on, at least let me feel like I'm doing _something_ here!" the former butler argued as he pulled Kaito's bowl and spoon from him, "You're not the only one that needs to pull his own weight!"

Kaito gave in and let Len finish cleaning up the table.  "By the way, while you were sleeping off that poison, Kaito told me where the two of you are heading.  So while I was out, I started trying to gather some intel…"

"Well I'm well enough to travel now if we want to head out…" Miku started to say.

"Ehhhh… that's not going to be so simple…" Len interrupted, "The Duke was murdered after we escaped.  I _know_ Akiko must have done it, but they're pinning the blame on _me_.  The city is locked down and they're controlling traffic in and out."

'What a wretched turn of events,' Miku thought to herself, 'They must be doing it to squeeze us out too.'

"So that means it would be best for you to keep a lower profile," she said.

"Yea, I have my contacts out here and I'm sure I won't get sold out, but better to not take chances."

Done with the dishes, Len wandered back to the radio and started turning the dials as he tried to get some sound.  "We also haven't run into whoever the Godmothers sent after me yet," Miku said, "They can't be far behind, and if Akiko works for them, they already know Kaito is in Zweissen, if not the Rust District itself."

"Len assured me we're quite remote," Kaito said as he watched Len hard at work, "That means it's unlikely anyone saw us come here.  If there _is_ a fairy godmother, she isn't close.  Yet."

"So for now… our plan is to hide out until we find an escape."

Miku didn't like the plan she'd voiced, but she didn't see any other options.  Duke Ueki had been her last lead and he'd betrayed her.  She _hoped_ she could keep trusting Len… and then she and Kaito would escape when he found a way out.

The radio finally crackled as Len centered on a band with voice.   "Ah, finally!  We've got something!"

"… our empire grows stronger as the emerald light illuminates Estmarch in a glorious future!  As we speak, our foes grow desperate as just before Zweissen came into our fold, they attempted to murder its ruler and hold off our glorious march!"

General Tonio's blustering voice filled the room, bringing down everyone's mood at once.  "Aw, that blowhard?!" Len fumed, "How he'd get put in charge anyway?"

"Isn't it obvious?  He must have been leading the Emerald Dawn right under my parents' noses all this time."

Miku observed as the Prince's expression grew darker.  "He served my family for years.  He was supposed to be their most loyal advisor.  He survived so many administrations and yet… he took advantage of them to claim the throne for himself."

Was that truly all?  It sounded so wonderfully simple.

'He _did_ meet me at the ball that night… he was my contact.'

And yet something didn't seem right about that story.  Why even involve the Godmothers in such a revolutionary act?  He didn't seem a great strategist the way he bellowed over the radio.

What did the Godmothers want out of the chaos?

Technically none of this mattered to her goal of keeping Kaito alive – only escaping Estmarch mattered.

But knowing about the Emerald Dawn… knowing where they came from, what was driving them…

_Why_ she was ever part of it…

… couldn't that help as well?

"Ah, enough of this jerk!  Maybe there's something better than propaganda, like something on the Loyalists…"

"Who are the Loyalists?" Miku asked.

"Oh, they're what's left of the army that's still loyal to the Crown."

"WHAT?!"

Kaito bolted up.  "If they're loyal to the Crown, why aren't we seeking them out?!  I'm the prince after all!"

Len shrunk back at Miku's sudden outburst.  "Well… they're not easy to find… and…"

"But my parents are still alive!" Kaito interrupted, "What if they're leading the Loyalists somewhere?!"

 "Hey, I'm not saying it's pointless!" Len argued back, "But we never got a lot of intel on them.  They might not even believe you if you show up.  And they've been doing all kinds of crazy stuff trying to secure territory that's still under the crown!"

"So what you're saying is… Estmarch is being caught up in a civil war."

Kaito slumped a little in his seat.  "How many people are going to be killed before we find a way to stop it?"

Miku wasn't sure what else to offer to Kaito.  He really _did_ care about his subjects, but even if they made it to Westheim and raised an army, there was no question that there would still be deaths.  There was no avoiding it.

'How do I get him to understand that… without doing exactly what these other people are planning?  Of devaluing their lives?'

Len finally got the radio over to a station playing music.  _"The curtain had fallen before I knew it and scattered scraps echo! The days of parting we drew out are the same as the eternity once we pledged…"_

Miku recognized the female singer's voice – it was Meiko again.

"Meiko… she was in the capital when the Emerald Dawn attacked…"

Kaito swallowed.  "She was there because of _me_.  I just wanted some way to fix things with Estmarch and Nordland… and she could be dead because of it…"

Len leaned against the kitchen wall, as the phantom voice serenaded the broken group.

"Can I fix any of this?" he murmured.

" _All I have to do is writing all the lies, the regrets and the promise that never comes true as a fairy tale…"_

Something about Len's face recalled someone else to mind… Miku began to recall the conversation in the car as they fled and she was just barely lucid enough to recall Len's words.  She took one more long look at his face.

… and finally saw a reflection of another person she'd met in perfect clarity.

"Len… I hate to bring up unpleasant memories but your sister… was she… your _twin_?"

Len shot her such a shocked look she didn't even need his answer.  "Yea!  Rin, Rin Kagamine!"

_"I stop dead on the stage, as the story line and the end are ambiguous… Even so, the curtain will rise again! I'll take someone's hand and start dancing!"_

The sudden change in conversation seemed to have altered Kaito's focus as well.  "Miku, how did you know something like that?!" he asked.

Len's swagger disappeared.  "You were a Cinderella, right?  Rin… Rin was too… is that how you met?"

The boy's voice trembled.  "Please… do you at least know how she died?  I… I just want to know…"

Finally, Miku had some good news to deliver to _someone_.  "She didn't die, Len.  She's alive."

He turned a few shades paler.  "Are you serious?!  I saw her death certificate!  I…  I was supposed to be the one to tell mama and papa, but… I couldn't… I…"

_"The undiscovered wilderness each of us reached will be the utopia once we were heading to…"_

A few tears escaped his eyes.  "You're not lying just to make me feel better, are you?  I just want the truth."

"Kaito technically met her too, but he was unconscious at the time.  She's a nurse in Vedunia, working in a slum clinic.  She helped save his life."

Miku recalled her flight from the capital that night and realized it was unlikely Rin or Gakupo would have stayed behind, even if they _had_ donated their car.  "She's probably not in the capital anymore given everything that happened, but if she survived this long…"

_"The days of parting we drew out are the same as the eternity once we pledged… All I have to do is writing all the lies…"_

Len's tears flowed more freely.  "I… I gave up on her… and she was there all that time…"

"Len, don't blame yourself!  Rin would have had to fake her death to keep the Godmothers away!"

To forge a death certificate would have required aid from the doctor. 'Then there's no way he doesn't know about us… that explains how she could hide so long without being caught.  Did the Godmothers realize she was there?  No, they couldn't have… otherwise she would have finished Kaito off instead of helping save his life.'

Miku recalled her intel had only included a talented professional who'd lost the will to operate after losing a patient… that turned up quietly in the slums.  He'd had to have been there a few years at least without the girl catching anyone's eye.  "I'm sure the two of them got out of the capital before it was locked down.  If they escaped the notice of the Fairy Godmothers this long, an armed invasion is comparatively simpler."

Kaito walked over and put his hand on Len's shoulder to comfort him as he still kept muttering under his breath, the shocking nature of the revelation still rattling him.  "I should have kept looking… I shouldn't have given up… god the things I've done since…"

"…she's alive.  You have another chance."

Kaito tried to smile for him.  "You're both alive… that means somewhere out there, she might well be looking for you too."

Len wiped his eyes, nodding his head.  "Yea… yea, you're right!  Heh… I guess now instead of doing this in her memory… I'll get to tell her all about it…"

In the middle of all the darkness, a little blossom of hope began to open.

_"All the passions, the sins and the flower that blooms fleetingly will regenerate as a fairy tale…"_

 

Gakupo was relaxing in the break tent with a cup of coffee after having spent a morning strolling through the various tents in the medical camp.  These people _needed_ a proper hospital, but tents and second-hand medical equipment was the best this poor establishment could scrape together.  It looked more like a war field hospital.

Sometimes it served as one as well.  Fighting had broken out at the edge of the Rust District for the third night in a row, and Gakupo had been yanked out of another pleasant dream along with Rin to tend to the injured.  As much as he hated to lose precious sleeping time, the adrenaline had pressed him forward and not a soul had passed.

He and Rin had been in the Rust District for four days, and their lives had yet to calm down.  The moment the news had broken out that the Duke had been murdered by a "Len Kagamine," the girl's entire focus had changed.  All she wanted was to search every corner of the District for any scrap of information on her brother.

As she was doing now.  Gakupo normally would have joined her, but after how much closer the fighting pulled to the city in the previous night, he worried leaving the medical camp short a doctor.  Not that Rin's role was unimportant, but doctors were harder to find right now. If he absolutely had to… he could try and be his own nurse in an emergency.

'To think the answer to all of her questions could be right here, in the middle of all this nothingness.'

The capital slums had been bad enough, but the heart of industrialization seemed to flow with the lifeblood of the people it sucked dry.  Keeping people alive mattered, but in quieter moments like this, he found himself at an impasse.  He was only treating the symptoms of a disease, not the illness itself.

'Ah, this is when Rin would scold me for treating everything like it has a medical solution!'

He smirked to himself as he gulped down more of his hot coffee.  "Ah… Gakupo was it?"

The melodic voice perked him up far more than the caffeine could as Gakupo looked over to see a nurse in full uniform, a mask on her face, her nurse's hat covering her hair in a long white veil.  "The co-ordinator said you needed a nurse today?"

But more than anything, Gakupo was taken by the shade of her eyes.  Brilliant blue.

"Well, I think I'd be lucky to have you today!  We've still got several patients to check up on, and I'd feel quite a bit more comfortable having some support while my regular nurse is out!"

He gulped the rest of his coffee down and sprung from his chair with renewed energy.  This would be a most _unique_ morning indeed.  "Given the uniform, are you with the Crimson Shield?"

He gestured to the familiar red shield emblem on her chest, hat, and arm band.  "Oh yes… I'm a volunteer from Saint-Famille, and the current crisis drew my attention.  I just wish to help as I can."

"Ah, that explains your accent!" he said happily, "I've always fancied that Sudlandian flourish!"

He grasped her hand.  "I was just having my coffee break, but I have to do some rounds and checkups.  That should help you familiarize yourself with our operation… miss… ah…"

"Leia.  My name is Leia."

 

Miku carried her paper bag of groceries tight in her arms.  The food wasn't great – obviously, the better food had been diverted to those with greater means.  But with the cooking, they could somehow turn the shriveled carrots and celery into an edible soup again.

As she passed a news stand, she scanned the headlines – another front page on the search for the Duke's murderers, sharing space with the encroaching approach of the Loyalist and Emerald Dawn armies clashing.  She reached into her pocket and pulled out a 5-mark coin.  "Just… put it in here, please," she said, gesturing to her bag.

She carried the groceries back down the road, carefully keeping her eyes open for any signs of being followed.  Of course she'd bound her hair up and tucked it carefully into a green hair scarf – she couldn't do much about how otherwise distinctive her hair looked.

But fortunately, nobody followed her as the buildings thinned out and eventually Miku made it back to her little shack unharmed.  Out front she saw Kaito sitting under the overhanging roof, his long jacket zipped shut as he read a book.

"Oh?  When did we get reading material?"

Kaito looked up from the novel and smiled softly as he closed it and rose to his feet.  "Len brought it back this morning… it's nice to have a change from just whatever turns up over the radio."

Miku pitied the poor Prince.  While Len was a wanted man, he was just average looking enough for a citizen of Zweissen to go unnoticed if he was careful.  Kaito was just too high profile and…

… she didn't want to risk his life if she couldn't go with him to keep him safe…

"Oh, looks like more vegetable soup then… I hope you're not getting tired of it!" Kaito said as he examined Miku's bag of groceries.

"I'm just happy to have the regular warm meals!" she said with a little smile forming, "I'd figure you'd get bored of the same food over given to the variety you're used to."

Kaito took the bag from her, still trying to hang on to his book as Miku pushed open the door for him.  When the prince brushed past her, she caught a brief look at the book's title.  "Ash Maiden?"

Kaito hurried to set the bag and his book down on the kitchen table as Miku locked the door.  "Isn't that a children's book?" she asked.

"It… ah… maybe…?  W-well the story is certainly entertaining at least…"

Somehow, catching Kaito unguarded always gave Miku some small joy – the earnest embarrassment and good humor of the prince could always cheer her up when she could coax it out.

"Oh… the Loyalists are approaching again…"

Kaito spread the newspaper out in front of him as he took in the stories ahead of him.  "Setting fire to the fields, interrupting supply?  What do they intend to gain?  Do they just wish to starve out the Emerald Dawn?  They'll kill the populace first!"

"I guess that explains the quality of the vegetables I found," Miku said.

Kaito looked away from the papers as he went through the food.  "Well… I have faith Len is on the right track… hopefully when he comes back tonight he'll have more leads for us."

Miku took a closer look at Kaito's book as she sat down at the table.  Opening the cover of the red volume, she noticed a drawing of a lovely maiden in rags, covered from head to toe in soot as she prayed beneath the boughs of a hazel tree.  A pair of doves stood watch over the lonely girl.

"Don't tease… I've just always had a bit of fondness for those old fairy tales, that's all."

Miku slapped the cover shut.  "I wasn't going to… not again anyway."

The prince rested his head on his hand.  "They make me nostalgic... my mother would read them to me every night when I was a child.  I think she always was just as enraptured by the folklore as I was.  The Cinderella tale was her favorite.  'Kaito!' she'd remind me, 'Never forget you're a prince.  Everyone looks up to you.  You're their shining jewel, their beacon.  You have the power to change a common girl into a princess.  You must be like Prince Charming – pure like a seraph, unceasing in his will.'"

He sighed.  "She liked that name for me… 'shining jewel'…  When I was a child, it made me feel loved.  So many of the other noble children would be raised by their servants, sent away to boarding schools, but I lived with mine and saw them all the time.  But… when I was older… being a 'shining jewel' started to feel like I was a possession…"

So much conflict in his heart.  The Queen and King that Kaito knew seemed so different.  Protective, overly so, but clearly loving and kind to their son.  The Queen and King Miku knew were violent and greedy.  Always trying to take and take.  Homes, money, food… entire countries.

Now that Kaito had become aware of that, the dichotomy seemed to keep eating away at him.

She looked longingly at the book and something seemed to rise up from the back of her mind.  She often had trouble recalling the days before she was a Cinderella – so much of the training was involved in erasing as much of her true self as possible, it was no small wonder her memories were a victim of this.  Besides, many of them were painful and she wanted to leave them behind.

But it was so strange to realize she did have something in common with the 'shining jewel' of Estmarch.

"My mother read those stories to me too.  She would always say… 'Miku, remember to be pious and good.  The angels will always protect you, just like the ash maiden.'"

"I suppose it's been the other way around so far… I must admit right now, you've been the angel protecting _me_."

Miku didn't feel she deserved such praise.  Not after what she'd done... she felt her hands trembling.  She could still see herself holding the knife and driving it into his heart.

"Kaito…You shouldn't say such things about me…" she stuttered.

"Miku, I... I should have resolved this matter some time ago.  _Before_ you became so desperate as to consume _poison_ for my sake."

She could still see his blood running…

"… thank you.  For saving my life."

Maybe somewhere deep down, Miku had wanted to hear forgiveness.  But she still didn't feel worthy of it.  Not right now.

'I have to be strong for him… I promised to keep him alive until Westheim, I can't be fragile and weak right now."

She banished the dream from her thoughts and kept her expression calm.  "I've done nothing yet.  Not until you return to your uncle safe and sound."

Kaito crossed his arms over his chest.  "I dispute that statement.  Your methods are uncouth, but you still saved my life.  From what I've learned about my current enemies, had they sent another person with the intent to kill me… they would have done so without hesitation.  But they sent you… and we're both still alive now."

Miku hadn't even realized how tightly she was holding her chest, to the point she had her hands wrapped tightly around her elbows.  "I don't know what they told you… but… your life is important to me.  Please, the next time you sense danger like that… trust me. Don't… don't take such a terrible chance.  I couldn't live with the guilt had you died in my name."

Kaito's voice trembled as he got out those last words.  Miku felt selfish a moment, remembering how she'd stolen his happiness for inner strength when they'd met.  She almost worried that she was still essentially tricking him now.

But she didn't like the idea of scaring him so much either.  There was little she could do about the reality of their situation but… she could try to help him not worry so much.

"I promise, Kaito.  I'll be more careful in the future."

 

Just like she'd suspected.  This doctor was an _idiot_. 

It was fortunate that Luka had been able to acquire nursing clothes that properly covered her most obvious features.  Her rather distinct hair required she go so far as even a veil, and he'd already seen her face.

But she didn't need the disguise to last long.  She'd planned to infiltrate the medical camp for signs of the injured Prince or his Cinderella, but she'd recognized the doctor doing rounds and decided to change tactics.  She could examine the patients up close, go through his records, and maybe get some information from him… then she could take him out before the Cinderella had a chance to stop her.

Neat and tidy.

"Now Leia, this young lady suffered second degree burns yesterday… can you change her bandages for me while I conduct the exam?"

She _had_ trained to pose as a nurse before – the Crimson Shield provided her with a reason for not being affiliated with a clinic and let her move around out of notice.  And treating injuries was important to her actual profession – she'd certainly not gotten through years of assassinations without getting hurt.  But this was the first time she was working on _actual_ patients.  She wouldn't have the doctor's intense medical knowledge, but she did understand how to wrap and unwrap bandages.  "Kokone, this is Leia, she'll be taking Rin's place for me today!"

The girl had long brown hair and a pink scarf.  Her orange eyes turned to Luka and she saw her expression.  Trust.

Naïve.

"Hold out your hand, please."

The girl did as told.  Luka pulled out the roll of bandaging and began her task.  The skin under the old bandages had peeled back, still red and irritated from the heat.  "Now, Kokone, how's your pain level today?"

"Ah… it's starting to sting again…"

"All right… morphine again then.  We'll apply the antiseptics before we change the bandage."

The doctor may be an idiot in other ways, but he was at least professional.  Luka pulled out the antiseptic lotion and began to casually apply it.  Kokone yelped as the spray touched her fragile skin.  "Oh, Leia, could you…"

"There's nothing I can do to make antiseptics hurt less."

She tried to control her tone.  Even if this girl meant nothing to her, she was supposed to be a nurse.

"Regardless… it is… only a brief discomfort."

And soon the girl was distracted as the doctor began to ask her increasingly menial questions.  The wound was quickly covered by bandages and the duo moved on to the next patient.   Checking on a cast from a man who'd fallen in a steel mill.

Most of them were like this.  The doctor seemed so eager to tend to the patients that sometimes he seemed to overtake her tasks.  Which only made things easier for her.  An occasional kind look from behind the surgeon's mask was all she needed.

By the time the rounds were done, the mid-afternoon sun hung lower in the autumn sky, and not one of the patients under current treatment were her targets.  She needn't keep up this ruse much longer.  Soon he'd be dead anyway.  He plopped down into his chair and flipped through piles of paperwork.  "Well I must say I was glad to have your company today, Miss Leia.  Are you staying around here long?"

"So long as there is need for me."

He laughed.  "Well I suppose if my regular nurse is still busy, I _will_ have need of you!  I do wonder what kept her all day, I thought she would be in by this afternoon."

He was already hard at work filling out forms.  This was her chance.  "Oh Doctor, can I have a look at the patient records from the last day?  It would help if I understood their histories."

"Ah, how silly of me!"

Gakupo pushed the papers to her without even a mild argument.  As she thumbed through the records looking for anything suspicious, the doctor let out a dramatic sigh.  "The night shift will want these done properly… tis a shame we're still so strapped.  They're lucky I happened through."

'They'll have to find someone else.  You're marked to die.'

It wasn't her place to worry about the staffing problems of the hospital.  It wasn't her place to worry about anything.

It was her place to cut the loose ends and get back to her primary objective.

"So… ahhh… how did you happen to get into nursing… anyway?"

'Is he trying to make small talk?'

She could easily concoct a false life, that wasn't an obstacle.

"It was… an accident really.  Not a terribly happy one either."

She looked out of the tent and watched the patients in the tent right near hers as they were attended to by another nurse.  A woman with long lime green hair, pulled back in a ponytail.  "Saint-Famille… burned.  In the war.  I lost my home.  I lost… everything."

To make the emotions sound real…

"I was pulled from the ashes of my family's bakery."

… she would need a _real_ story.

"The people who rescued me… rescued many such lost souls.  I've never forgotten my debt."

"Hmmmm… the Crimson Shield did this?"

"Yes."

The only lie was _who_ Luka owed her life too.  Not the circumstances.

"It's sad that such a tragedy is what brought you into such a precious field."

She didn't want pity.  She wanted revenge.

"But it is wonderful that you've turned that pain towards saving lives."

She didn't save lives.  She ended them.

She was a blunt tool, and she prided herself in that.

A loud explosion sounded out in the distance.  Was this a Loyalist attack?  She had to be alert… if _they_ were attacking, they could intercept the Prince!  She needed to get to the site and…

"We have to go!  That sounded serious!  What if people were hurt?!"

Luka gasped as the Doctor grabbed her wrist and started to drag her off.  "Wait a minute I-"

She had half a mind to knock him out.  She began to jerk her arm back to flip him over when she saw another method.  If she went to the explosion with him… if it _was_ Loyalists…

If _he_ was there…

"… I need to grab some more supplies!"

 

Len ran through the streets towards the explosion.  He knew it was one of the glass blowing plants still running in the District.  He had to know the cause.  His leads on the Loyalists were so dead end that he'd even chance running into an obvious attack just to find anything while the scene was fresh before the police arrived.

He watched the people streaming past, covered in blood.  He willed himself to look away.  There was _nothing_ he could do.  He ran towards the smoke, hoping he wouldn't draw too much attention running _into_ a disaster instead of away from it.

He could already see the blasted out wall, and swallowed hard as he leapt the fence.  'Oh no no no… please no… don't be what I think this is…'

He tried to hold in his bile as he ran past the bodies.  _Children's_ bodies.

'Right... the glass blowing plant employs all those kids… and…'

Some of them were already so pale and lifeless he suspected they'd already died.

Some of them were stumbling, sobbing in confusion.

'No… no I can't help them… I won't be able to… I…'

It was getting harder to steel himself the way he had for last two years, working as Duke Ueki's dog.  He'd been dead inside then – nothing mattered but revenge, so he let himself be used.

But he had a reason to live now… he'd already done so many awful things for the Duke, he didn't want to leave them…

Someone moving in the blown out innards of the factory drew his eye.  They scattered as he locked eyes with them – a boy with short white hair and gold tinted eyes, a yellow and black checkered scarf pull up over the rest of his face.  Len reached for his pistol but the boy simply ran off.

'Yea that looks guilty as hell!'

 

The streets filled with smoke, the people screaming for their children…

Luka never expected to confront this again.

She thought her training had prepared her for it – the same training she'd given to the other Cendrillons in her care.

But somewhere in her head she could still remember the sound of parents sobbing as they realized their children were never coming home.

"Don't worry Leia, we just need to focus on triage!  Come on, we can't let them down!"

Maybe if she were an _idiot_ she would have an easier time burying all of it and focusing on her fake job.

She recognized some of the other doctors and nurses.  The head doctor was already spreading them out.  Gakupo ran forward and spoke to him as Luka tried to keep from breaking down in the sight of the flames.  Sirens sounded out as the fire engines and police cars arrived.

She felt his hand on hers.  "We've got our assignment.  We need to prioritize… by… whoever we can save first."

"But of course, Doctor.  We'll save as many as we can."

That was what a nurse was _supposed_ to say, right?

 

Rin tried to hobble through the smoke and panic as quickly as she could.  She was certain Gakupo was going to be there, and he needed his nurse!  At least it would make up for her dried up leads about Len, right?

She gasped and panted, the crook of her arm in pain from trying to keep the crutch upright.  A half-injured nurse trying to perform emergency care, who would believe her?  'But those people need our help… I can't let any of them down!  Gakupo never does… and… and…'

Rin knew why she was a nurse.  Why she wanted to save lives.

Because she'd taken them as well.

Paying the piper.

The factory grew closer to her sight…

 

Luka laid the mats out – there would be no properly sterile environment, not here.  The firefighters brought the first patient her way, a green haired boy with buck teeth and serious burns up the side of his face.  "Papa… papa where are you…" he murmured.

_Papa, mama where are you?!  Papa, mama!_

She ran the antiseptic along his face as he cried out from the pain, but she had to treat it.

_She cried as the hot embers fell along her arm, the fire eating its way into her home…_

"Lucky, there's no shrapnel on him… what's your name?  Please, tell me your name!"

"R—Ryuto…" he coughed.

"Smoke inhalation…" Gakupo murmured, "Can you handle the oxygen tanks, they're bringing a few more in just like him."

_The smoke was so thick she felt her throat closing up… she couldn't even call for help…_

She slipped the mask over the boy's face, trying to hold back the foreign sensation, that thing she'd tried to wrap up deep within her anger and fury at the people who'd done this…

_Nobody would save her.  She collapsed in the kitchen, where she'd spent so many happy days baking chocolates and pastries… she felt herself slumber and dreamt her mother was singing her to sleep…_

The boy cried freely as Luka set the mask in place.  Watching his tears fall, listening to the chaos and screaming and sobbing… she found herself gripping his hands and looking right into his bright green eyes.

_"Dreaming chuchu, chocola-ta-ta-ta-ta… A sweetness that I've whipped together just for you… Dreaming chuchu, chocola-ta-ta-ta-ta… These feelings in my heart, I hope will reach you soon…"_

Even as the words flowed from Luka's own mouth, in her mind she only heard her mother's voice.

_"The beating of my heart is thumping rhythmically in time… The beating of your heart is syncing perfectly with mine…"_

The oxygen seemed to be working… she pulled out a roll of bandages as she started to wrap Ryuto's facial burns to prevent infection... but she didn't stop singing as he stayed fixated on her…

 

"Son of a… bitch!  You get back here!"

The boy was practically as fast as a wolf, Len's words having little effect on him.  As he slipped out of an open window, Len followed, ending up outside and staring down a circle of squad cars, emergency personnel, and fire fighters.

As the boy backed up, Len realized he hadn't properly planned an escape either.  He finally started running for the chain link fence, chancing being caught as he vaulted over it.  Len heard the loud voices of policeman and cursed again.  "Better follow him… try and catch _something_ at least…"

Len easily scaled the fence, getting behind cover as he heard gunfire.  "Dammit, I hope they didn't just spot me!"

He didn't even see the girl on crutches who stumbled through the crowd as he kept up his mad pursuit of the culprit…

 

Luka's hands shook as the last of her patients had passed.  Even Gakupo looked exhausted… he'd somehow managed to save every one of his patients, but several of them had expired.  The sight of so much death at once appeared foreign even to him as he hung his head.

As for Luka… the crisis was past.  She'd kept her disguise long enough… she hadn't revealed herself…

"Gakupo… Gakupo!"

Luka recognized the voice and was careful to turn her head to avoid Rin getting a better look at her face – even with the mask, they'd known each other for far longer.

"Oh… I… I missed everything… didn't I…"

Luka glanced back and saw Gakupo try and force a smile.  "I wouldn't have been able to save as many as I did without Miss Leia here… and I'm quite glad you're safe."

Rin surveyed the patients.  "I'm sorry I wasn't here sooner… I could have helped you… or another doctor or…"

"You're a patient too, remember?" Gakupo said, trying to maintain some cheer.

"Don't remind me…" Rin said, rubbing at her bandaged thigh.

"Rin… why don't you go back home and get off that leg.  Take it easy.  I'm going to stay as long as I'm needed, all right?"

And just like that… Rin hobbled away, on the wounded leg that _Luka_ had shot at.

Luka finally turned around and saw as Gakupo's more joyful demeaner seemed to temper.  When he realized he was being watched, he buried that with another smile.  "Thank you."

Luka tried to control her voice.  "I only did what was asked of me."

He stepped closer to her and her heartbeat quickened.  "You did more than that.  These people today… they wouldn't be alive without _you._   You… saved their lives."

She wouldn't hear of it.  She was a murderer, a tool of death that had taken countless lives.

"You did most of the work!"

"I wouldn't have pulled it off without you."

He sounded wearier.  "I've never seen this… I've been lucky I guess.  I've never had a patient die on me.  I didn't have it today either but… if I'd been here sooner, maybe more of them would have survived…"

This man was not an agent of death.  He wasn't built for it.  She was.

"I kept focusing on your lovely song to keep working.  To stay cheerful enough to not let the lives that were already lost prevent me from saving those who still survived.  Because even if a nurse who'd suffered such bloodshed before had the wells of strength to sing for the sake of her patients, surely I could retain the strength I needed for those who relied upon us."

"So yes… you… saved lives."

Luka tried to let the thought settle into her mind.  Deployed on a mission of death… she had preserved life instead.

What did that make her now?

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know, I'm glad I made this an alternate history, because I've already made an anachronism.  In my rush to show Gakupo was a good doctor in Chapter 3, I had him prescribe antibiotics… which were not even properly discovered until after WWI.
> 
> "Leia" is of course a reference to a Luka song of the same name.  
>    
>  "Pain au chocolats" is a pastry I've become acquainted to since moving to Quebec.  It's a sweet roll with two sticks of chocolate in the middle, and even the cheap convenience stores around here carry them.  In Quebec, they're called "chocolatines", and I actually debated which term to use because "chocolatines" is also used in southwest France.  Apparently what you call this ubiquitous pastry is the French equivalant of America's "soda or pop?" debate.  I ended up with "pain au chocolats" because it's the more "France French" name and Sudland is France, not Quebec ;)
> 
> As for the sole song, it's yuukiss' "[Fairy-taled](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6tb2rHimjg)".  Meiko's making up for being in four of my fanfics and never getting songs to herself in any of them by singing almost ALL of them.  Luka is singing "[Dreaming Chuchu](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Slj_emFtpY4)"... a song I was kind of hesitant to include since it's about Japanese Valentine's day, but I gave in because it involves baking too and it's not a theme you find that much in Vocaloid songs.  It's terribly cute also.


	6. Surging Emotion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Loyalists' reckless assault has forced Kaito to seek them out, trying to find his own sense of justice while confronting the grim realities of his new situation. All the while, Luka's inner conflicts come to a head when the opportunity she's sought finally presents itself... a temptation that even a violet-haired doctor may not be able to stop...

Luka kept her pace behind the doctor.  Blending into crowds and shadows was exceptionally easy for someone like herself.  Gakupo walked with a slow pace, far too absorbed in the thoughts of the day they'd shared for him to even think of himself as being stalked.

She kept her fingers on the throwing knives in her shirt.  When he caught up with Rin, she'd throw just two – one for each.

That would be all she would need.

Then she could move on.  She _needed_ to move on.

She recognized the boarding house he was approaching – she'd passed it on her way into the district.  Before he got inside, fortunately, Rin hobbled outside on her crutch. "You made it back!  I didn't want to start dinner without you…"

She saw his head raise up and it was as if just the sight of the girl forced him to hold his emotions in check again while a smile spread along his face.

"Oh, you didn't have to do something like that!  It's not very healthy to wait so long to eat!"

"Yea, but after today… you probably could use a _warm_ meal more than the cold one."

"Ah now, it wasn't so bad!  I had a lovely companion after all."

Luka slipped into a better position to make sure her two throwing knives would land on the first throw.

"Oh, Leia… right?  You aren't crazy enough to hit on a nurse are you?!"

Gakupo laughed nervously, rubbing the side of his face.  "N-now Rin, why would you think I would…"

"Just tell me the color of her eyes already."

He released a long sigh.  "Blue, glowing like the midday sky… with the depths of a thousand years!"

Her hands were shaking again… she'd let the day's events rattle her too much.  She had a job, she had a task, she was an instrument… she couldn't accept just letting them go!

"So, any sign of that brother of yours?  Len?"

Rin leaned on her crutch.  "Nothing.  I hope he's still here…"

"Now now, you can't lose hope!  Look, if Leia comes back tomorrow, maybe you can spend more time on the search!"

"The hospital won't miss me?"

He clapped her shoulders.  "Rin… it's not that saving lives is meaningless but… you've been separated for far too long.  You have to take this chance to get your old life back.  You can come back to nursing when you're done.  All right?"

'Of… of course… I can't kill them yet… because…'

Luka slipped the knives back into her coat as her targets entered the boarding house for the night.  '…because they're going to lead me to Len Kagamine.  And he will lead me to the Prince.'

How thoughtful of her to hold back on killing them for now – letting them live would only make things easier.

And when she killed the Prince…

… she could finally lay the remnants of the past to rest in the ashes.

 

The door slammed behind Len as he entered the shack again, clutching a checkered bandana in his hand.  The radio was blaring out a news report on the bombing.

"-50 confirmed casualties so far, with 15 fatalities!  Blood and smoke in the sky!  Thanks to the quick work of local medical personnel, far less of the children passed on in the aftermath, but there were many dead from the initial blast!"

Len saw Miku and Kaito seated at the table, their soup barely touched, as they stared at him.  "Did you hear it out here?"

Miku answered first.  "And we saw the smoke…" she whispered.

Len looked himself over – there was still dried blood on his knuckles.

"Were you… there?"

Kaito's question barely described him in the aftermath.  Len _had_ finally caught up to his target, pouncing on him and trying to pin him to the ground.  Even if the man was bigger than him, Len had knocked the wind out of him, slammed them down so hard the autumn leaves had scattered every which way around them.

He demanded to know who was working with.

Screaming for a reason.

"… was it the Loyalists?"

Len grabbed for a cloth to clean his hand off.  "I… almost had the guy that did it too… Chased him right into an empty park… He said… sacrifices had to be made so the enemies of the Shion family had less to fight with…"

He'd thought he could be rational – they _needed_ the Loyalists.  But when those cruel words flew from the silver-haired man's mouth… Len had lost his composure and started punching him.  That was when he'd been thrown off and the man had landed a few punches of his own before escaping.

Len still had his bandana and nothing else.

"You still want to talk to them…?"

The Prince slumped in his chair.  "You really want to say these are the kind of people you want to work with?!" Len reiterated.

"… I must meet with them."

Len gritted his teeth.  Did he think he could try talking them down?  He'd already seen how that would turn out.

"… I don't expect to easily dissuade them from this path.  But if they're so obsessed with my family, they may yet listen.  If not, we could at least learn who's giving them orders… try and deal with it from the source."

Miku was having none of this.  "Kaito!  They won't just listen to you begging for peace!"

Kaito was shaking.  "I… I don't intend to do that.  Not after what happened with the Duke.  But I can't simply hide out here and ignore what's happening.  People are _dying_ at the hands of people purporting to restore my crown.  How could I possibly retain my legitimacy as a Prince of Estmarch if I allowed that to continue?"

'He's nuts… but… he's not wrong either…'

At some point, the rest of the kingdom would figure out that their Prince yet lived.  If a group like this was running around creating chaos, it would only make his ultimate goal harder.  And to be truthful… Len himself was tired of turning a blind eye to suffering as he'd done for so many years.  He could justify itto himself before when he thought he had nothing to live for.  But if Rin was still out there…

He had to be able to look her in the eye when he found her.

"If we get to the Loyalists… we might at least be able to get them to help us out.  If we let them run wild, we might have them as an obstacle.  But if we can get them to follow _you_ , they might leave Zweissen alone.  At least in the short term."

The Prince seemed far more comfortable with this direction.  "Right.  If they happen to be so fanatical that they're willing to blow up industrial zones, they might be fanatical enough to refocus their attention on me."

While Kaito seemed okay with this plan, Miku was still clearly worried.  "You have to think of yourself too Kaito!  What if they think you're lying or an imposter?  What if they're just pretending?  What if…"

"Miku."

His voice grew firm.  "I will _not_ let my people die pointlessly.  Not if I have even a small chance of changing that."

"If I can't even protect a few dozen children… how can I possibly protect a kingdom?"

"Kaito, you can't protect ANYONE if you're DEAD!"

Miku's fearful outburst even startled Len.  She clutched her hands close to her chest.  "Fine… I… If you're so determined to try this… then… I'll go with you so they can't… dispose of you."

"Good, then it's settled."

Kaito seemed to brush off Miku's emotional state as he went back to preparing their meal.  "Starting tomorrow, Miku and I will go out with you.  You can't risk this alone anymore, and if the Loyalists are getting this desperate, it's only a matter of time before they draw too much attention to our hiding place."

Miku returned to her seat, folding her hands up in her lap and trying to look away from the other two people in the room with her.

'Sheesh… I really don't know _anything_ about them, do I?'

 

"I can't imagine this many minerals in the air is healthy for my patients!"

Gakupo sniffed as the wretched morning smog tainted the air.  "Perhaps when this nasty business is over with, we should set up some kind of nice mountain retreat for the factory workers to recuperate in!"

Rin smirked at him.  "You just want a nice nap in the Alpines!"

"Hmph… I think it'd be good for the doctor too… which would also help the patients!"

He managed a chipper laugh for Rin's benefit.  The week since the terrorist attack on the glass factory had taken a toll on him.  It wasn't that he never focused on his job – he always pursued medicine so fervently out of an urge to save lives.

But despite the fact he'd had training as a medic in the military before he abandoned his old life, he'd been fortunate to "only" treat patients with normal diseases and injuries.  Not the victims of active violence.

Not children…

"The newspaper said the Emerald Dawn's army clashed with the Loyalists again last night… I hope they don't come back in here again…"

Rin sounded just as worried as Gakupo was.  "You sure you don't need me there?  I mean… I know what you're trying to do… but… you're taking so many risks…"

He knew what Rin was implying.  He wasn't a soldier – he was useless with a weapon and only survived his first real fight by thinking outside of the box.  He was gambling with his life every day he kept exposing himself as he was right now.

'Ah, well, I can just be clever with the tools again!  But away from the injured children, I suppose...'

"How's the leg today?"

Rin didn't seem to be nursing the crutch as hard.  "I'm not sure it's a fighting leg yet, but I did practice working the crutch into a sneak attack if I have to!"

Gakupo cracked a smile at the idea of Rin attacking a sneaky Cinderella out to get them.  "Let's hope you don't have to!"

As the familiar sights of the medical tents entered Gakupo's view, he felt a tug at his hand.  "Gakupo… I know what we talked about… and… I know you can't just give up… but…"

He shot Rin as confident a smile as he could manage.  "I know I'm making progress.  I have to find out how much, right?"

She let his hand go once more.  "I won't be that far… okay?"

Gakupo entered the tents and as expected, there was Leia already waiting for him – dressed perfectly, veil and all.  He noticed some dark circles under her eyes.  "They didn't call you in, did they?"

Her blue eyes looked away from him once more.  "No… it was pleasantly peaceful for once.  But I have been having trouble with sleep again."

The doctor laughed as he picked up a clipboard.  "We could prescribe you some sedatives if you'd like!"

The frustrating part of Leia never parting with her mask was that Gakupo could never entirely know if she found his jokes even slightly humorous.  Her eyes didn't give that much away.

"Let's get to work, doctor."

 

Miku tried to keep up with Kaito in the streets, but for some reason this morning he had so much more motivation.  "Slow down, 'Naoto!'" she called out, "You're going to leave me behind!"

The Prince slowed his pacing just enough for Miku to catch up.  "What's got you so excited?"

"It's been too long since they made their move… we need to find them before they…"

Kaito just couldn't let go of this.  It seemed to be more than just honor motivating him, and Miku didn't know how to get him off of this idea.  If he exposed himself too broadly, his enemies would find him.

Every night she was still haunted by the nightmares.  The pink-haired woman giving the order, whispering in her ears of the Prince's death.  The white-masked nobles, all watching and waiting for Miku to hurry up and kill him.  Driving the knife in and staying by his side as he died…

And every day she had to stand with the living Kaito of her reality as they fruitlessly scoured what leads they had.  Newspapers, bars, the factories… Every day trying to keep her eyes peeled for whenever the Godmothers would finally strike again…

With the reduced police presence and clues still thin, Len, Kaito, and Miku had decided they had to make some investigation of the site of the attack on their own.  Given the suddenness of the attack and how spread thin the police were given the chaos in the Rhune Valley as a whole, there wasn't much choice.

They had to try and find clues _here_.

Miku spotted Len leaning into one of the torn down gates, his long hair tucked into a brown cap, his red scarf close to his face. With his long brown coat, he didn't look that different from any of the other Rust District regulars.  'He's good at this… even as a wanted man, he doesn't stick out… he should really start teaching Kaito more of that.'

"Morning, 'Shimoda,'" Kaito said without skipping a beat.

"Naoto, Saki.  Perfect timing."

It had just been simpler to use false names for all of them when surrounded by people.  Fortunately, Kaito never slipped up.

Len gestured back to the factory site.  "The cops are still keeping the entrance tightened up.  I don’t think we'll have much luck with that.  But I can at least run you back over where I chased that guy… maybe he left something behind."

Miku looked the blown-out factory over carefully.  "I could slip in myself…" she murmured.

Len's head jerked forward under his cap.  "Really?!"

"If anyone could get somewhere like that… Saki could!" Kaito said happily.

Len try to compose himself.  "It's just… well… I mean… yea, if you're okay with me and Naoto going off on our own…"

"You both have your pistols.  And I won't be gone long."

She wasn't sure she felt comfortable leaving Kaito alone like this but… she trusted Len… and she was the only one good enough at sneaking around.  She was trained for this.  Already she was planning her route past the police guarding the site…

"I'll meet up with you…"

She scanned the area for an obvious landmark…

"Saki, how about the statue of Duke Ueki in the square?"

She looked to Len and nodded.  "I'll be able to find that… you two just… please… stay careful and out of sight…"

She started to take a few steps away from Kaito and her fear began to overtake her.  An omen?  She could still see the pink-haired woman in her mind… how close by was she?

"Saki, please, I'll do my best to take care of myself.  Don't worry over me.  I have a good companion, and my weapon at my side as well."

Kaito trying to reassure her somehow made it a little harder… but she couldn’t linger.  The opportunity would be gone soon.

"All right, Naoto.  The Duke's statue.  It shouldn't take me too long."

 

The crisp November wind made Kaito pull his scarf closer to try and ward away the chill.  'Thank goodness we've no snow yet…'

Len guided the two through a thick cluster of trees.  By now they were nearly bare, as the scattered piles of brown and orange leaves along the grown told him.  But there were no people around at least…

"So first he took me through these trees… here…"

Kaito tried to keep up with Len's pace.  At least his stitches were still holding with all the exercise he was engaging in.

"Then I tackled him right here!  We had a fight before he knocked me down and got away… I would have stuck around a little longer, but the police started chasing us and I had to make myself scarce…"

"So you think he might have left some clues behind?  Besides that bandana you made off with."

Kaito started to scan through the grass.  "I hope the police haven't already gathered everything of worth."

He kept wandering through the shady park, looking for anything that stood out.  He had to find _something_.  Every other trip out this week had been fruitless – he needed something to show for his efforts.  Someway to strike back at the people committing such evil in his name.

"Kaito… I hate to spring this on you, but getting you alone is hard enough… so I'll take what time I have…"

Kaito stopped from his searching to address Len.  The boy looked oddly suspicious of him.  "You keep getting evasive on how you met Miku.  You kept saying she helped you escape the fall of the capital, but… I read the reports out of the capital.  You were 'assassinated' at a ball, by a mysterious young woman who was supposed to be your dancing partner."

"Obviously, the account is false given that I'm alive right now."  Kaito didn't want to speak of this event right now.  All he wanted to think about was the Loyalists.

"Was Miku the one sent to kill you?"

To be that blunt… well, it _was_ Len's way.  Now that he'd tossed away the mask of needing to please others.

"Why does this matter now?" Kaito continued in annoyance.

"I need to know what happened.  I'm trying to keep you alive, and I want to understand her.  You don't think she's just a _little_ too obsessive over you?  That's not the actions of someone who's just a bodyguard.  And she _didn't_ deny being a Cinderella."

Kaito let out a huff.  "I do not intend to be so coarse as to divulge Miku's secrets outside of her presence.  If she has chosen to keep her circumstances discrete, she has that right."

Why was he getting so defensive about Miku?  This wasn't like him to be so rude… He tried to soften his response.  "I realize the circumstances of my survival are… unusual.  But I have absolute faith in her so far."

Len furtively adjusted his cap.  "Okay, maybe I came at this wrong…   Look, I just want you to be careful.  The way she's acting around you just isn't healthy.  They do terrible things to those girls to make them so easy to command.  Even if Miku turned on them to help you, that doesn't mean everything she's undergone isn't still affecting her."

Certainly Kaito could be aware of that but… he thought forgiving her would be enough.  Letting her release that burden.  "I've already told Miku that what came between us is in the past."

Len sighed, seemingly let the matter drop.  "Hey!  I think I found something!"

Grateful to leave the more unpleasant conversations behind, Kaito joined Len as he dug through a pile of leaves and pulled out a small pendant with a wolf's crest on it.  "What do you make of this?"

Kaito looked it over.  "I recognize this pendant… it's from House Grauwolf.  Did it fall off the man you attacked?"

He turned it over in his hands, reciting the name engraved on the back of it.  "Dex… Grauwolf… Len, did your assailant have silver hair?  And yellow eyes?"

"Yea!  You know the jerk?"

Kaito clutched the pendant tightly.  " His father was close to the crown.  He's about my age, but he was schooled out of the country.  I suppose… it's not impossible he might be involved in an organization like this."

Len dug through the leaves some more.  "There's nothing else… well, that gives us a start.  You know what he looks like."

Len pointed out to the square.  "I'll take you to the statue.  It'll be hard to miss… Duke Ueki wasn't known for his _subtlety._ "

 

Luka checked on the bandages for Ryuto as he laid in the stretcher.  "You're doing so well today," she said tenderly.

"Thanks, Miss… umm… is my face going to be okay?"

She wanted to spare him the truth.  "You'll be just fine when the burns heal."

The sight of him innocently smiling at her made her feel ill.

This wasn't her place, but she was still no closer to her target masquerading as a nurse than she was in her nighttime exploits of trying to tear the city apart and find the Prince.  And the longer she stayed here, the more she felt interference with her dedication to her mission.

This wasn't working the way she needed it to.

She needed to leave.

She thought she should at least bid him goodbye.  'No!  It doesn't matter!'

"Goodbye Ryuto."

She sighed and left the tent with the doctor.  "You've done a lot of good here, Leia."

"Yes, Doctor."

She followed her purple haired benefactor through the camp – Ryuto was their last patient of the morning.  She just had to wait the rest of the day out… see if Rin would appear with the news she looked forward to… and then…

"Doctor… I regret to inform you that this will be my last day."

Gakupo looked at her in surprise.  "Really?  But you're so dedicated!"

Leia set her things down in the break tent.  "And I daresay the children are going to miss you… but if you've a calling elsewhere…"

Perfect.  He'd even unintentionally provided a proper excuse so she could leave without a trace.

"It is most unfortunate.  I shall see out my tasks for today, and then depart."

Gakupo took a seat and started to mix a cup of coffee.  "Well, regardless, I hope you don't forget about this.  You saved _lives_ here, Leia."

She turned on the radio, tuning the dial for local news.  She may as well get a jump on the day.

"…and as the Emerald Dawn is taking its rightful place in control of the Rhune Valley's mighty arms of industry, those that continue to resist our light strike without mercy!  The old corruption of the Shion House knows no end!"

General Tonio, making another speech.  She didn't know the origin of the orders she gave to Miku that night – but she was certain they weren't from him.  How he came to power… that was an interesting question, wasn't it?

'I wouldn't put it past Iroha to have found him useful.  The Grand Godmother must be letting him play at General until the regime is overthrown.'

Whatever the Grand Godmother was plotting wasn't her concern… only finishing the mission passed through her hands.

"… no matter who gains power, it seems that the same people always suffer."

Luka turned to the doctor, who showed a surprising amount of emotion.  "You're still upset about the children?"

"The children, the poor, the weak."

A curiosity overtook her… not a useful one.  But she wished to satisfy it before leaving him for good.

"Gakupo, how did someone like you come to be a doctor?  You always seem so much more obsessed with… well… napping.  And women.  But when you approach an operating table, you're a completely different person."

He turned the volume down on the radio.  "… I don't like wars.  I don't like watching people suffer.  But the irony is, I'm the son of a long line of decorated soldiers.  My father being one of them.  He fought every one of the Rose Wars, with honors."

Luka's fingers twitched.  If his father fought in those wars… there was a chance her father was on the _other_ side of the Sudland conflict.

"He'd speak to me with such pride about the deaths he inflicted for the glory of Estmarch.  The battles he lived for.  But it made me sick to think that was supposed to be my path.  I couldn't imagine taking lives like he did."

Luka recalled the conclusion of their first encounter.  Gakupo had blamed his lack of killing her on a devotion to his medical oath.  But was that truly all there was?

"My father would have been mortified if I'd brought dishonor on us by refusing to serve at all.  Regardless of our rather… distinct… differences of opinion, I still wanted to prove myself worthy of him.  So I found a way to serve my country without upsetting my ideals.  I became a surgeon so I could serve as a combat medic."

The "idiot" could be surprisingly clever when he wanted to be.  "And did your father go along with that?"

"He put up a fight at first… swore that I was taking a coward's path.  That I would never understand until I had the courage to take a life for the greater good."

"So he didn't support it, and you did it anyway."

There was a surprising amount of guts in this doctor.

"Well he did send me a letter of congratulation from the front lines upon my graduation.  Unfortunately, he didn't come back from that war… he died as he lived, in the heart of battle."

"So the Shion Royals sent your father to his grave… for what?"

Gakupo looked unusually pensive.  "I've found myself asking that question myself, many times.  I never had to serve as a combat medic either… I turned my skills to be a doctor of the people instead."

Luka tried to keep her calm, but she began to wonder if this was what led the odd doctor into Rin Kagamine's path.  As far as Luka knew, Rin's assassination that night had been successful in that she killed the target… but her getaway had not been clean.  There had been suspicion about the report of her death given the lack of a body, but one dead Cinderella didn't seem unlikely.

But this man would have stumbled onto a bloody girl, obviously the perpetrator of a crime… and saved her life.

'Idiot.  He's lucky she didn't turn around and kill him.'

He was too soft-hearted to even be a doctor let alone a combat medic.  But somehow… he'd managed to turn a once-successful Cinderella from her rigid path of death to one filled with life.

She realized she would have to be cautious lest the same fate befall herself as well.

 

Rosensquare seemed to sum up the Rust District in one hearty statement.  While it may have once had a rather pleasant small town charm, with its white stone benches and cobblestone paths, the decay had since set in.  Kaito observed what were once well crafted brick walls covered in creeping weeds, benches of rotting wood.  He wondered what this town was like in the past…

Duke Ueki's gaudy statue stood tall over the ruin, covered in flaking gold paint.  Kaito glared at the statue, remembering the contemptible man in life.  "He was really something, huh?" Len muttered.

Kaito touched the fading plaque.  "That such wretched people could flourish so easily…" Kaito murmured.

"…he knew how to make use of people, that's how he moved up in the world.  I can't say I'm innocent either… I used every one of my talents to help him out and keep my head down. Helped him do everything short of killing people.  And I still only had the 'glory' of being a butler."

So many people turned to slaves, manipulated into committing wicked acts.  Len clearly seemed to have his heart in the right place, but he was still trapped in regret.  And Miku… she hadn't wanted to be a killer… she had only barely evaded her fate through sheer force of will…

Kaito found himself feeling so defensive over Miku.  Such an odd turn of events, but he couldn't help but feel pity for her.

Maybe… more?

He pulled out the medallion and tried to think back on what he remembered of its owner.  'Dex never appeared so violent… he was a soldier, but not a murderer.  What changed?  Who put him up to this?'

The Loyalists representing his family, were they affiliated with his parents?  Did his parents really intend to attack their own people just to maintain power?

He could still recall how his mother's warm hugs granted him comfort when he was so young.  The way his father's imposing presence melted when he saw his saw his child.  They thought nothing to dropping everything to spend time with their only son – he was never alone on holidays or birthdays, nor neglected for business.  He always felt loved.

His drive to become a great and compassionate ruler came from his urge to live up to them.  To see truth after unpleasant truth opening in front of him made his dedication waver.  Could he truly claim to be a good and kind King if his own parents had committed great evils to secure his throne?

What would he do when he finally met them again?  Kaito wasn't a king yet, and he couldn't claim to be the true ruler of Estmarch if the King and Queen still lived.  So it was truly only a matter of time before he found himself back in the presence of his own parents, and he would have to demand the truth from them.

'Is it our fate to become enemies?'

"Wait… that's him!"

Kaito snapped back to attention and scanned through the crowd.  The silver-haired boy stood out easily slipping through the crowd of people.  For a second Kaito almost called his name out, but he held his tongue.  He slipped the medallion in his pocket.  "We should pursue him… discretely…" Kaito said.

Len slipped his hat down his face and Kaito followed him into the crowd.

 

Miku carefully slipped through the girders in the ceiling as she searched for the clues Kaito sought.  She tried to calm her pounding heart – leaving Kaito alone like this didn't feel right.  He needed to be safe and…

'But I haven't kept him safe, have I?'

A blast of heat from the glass blowing equipment below her caused sweat to build up along her face.  'The explosion site should be close by…'

She slowed her crawling as she spied the familiar uniforms of the Zweissen police.  'Still guarded… great.'

Continuing her progress above their heads, she tried to keep her ears open for anything useful.  Maybe a clue as to what they intended to do next or any clues they had already found…

"Between this and the Duke's murder, we're overworked!  Aren't they closing in on the assassin at least so we can have _something_ to show for all this crap?!"

Miku's ears pricked up.  "Yea, we had a tip come in this morning.  Three suspicious people hanging out in the old milling district.  Two guys and a girl.  Sound familiar?"

"Yep… shouldn't be too hard to book em' all.  We'll get em' by sunset… let's just hope they're not Loyalists too, we've got enough problems here now that the Dawn's in charge."

She began to back away carefully.  They still didn't have a path of escape, but the police had already tightened their net.  The Emerald Dawn controlled the police.  Now it didn't even matter if she had a Godmother on her tail, _she needed to escape._

She slipped along the girders.  While she hadn't gotten the information she'd set out for, her journey had in fact proven useful.  It would save all their lives.

'I just have to find them in time… we should still be able to get our things…'

 

"Okay, creep, you're cornered!" Len shouted to his quarry.

Kaito clutched at his side as he and Len pressed Dex closer to the wall in the alley.  In spite of how much his wound felt ready to split open, the adrenaline from the chase was keeping him focused as he pulled out his pistol and kept it trained on his old comrade.

The young man looked like a cornered wolf, ready to lunge, but he held steady.  "What do you want!?  Are you planning on turning me in to the Emerald Dawn as well!?"

"It's your lucky day… because we were looking for a lead on the Loyalists.  And even after what you did to those kids, you're a best shot."

Kaito hoped Len could keep his anger in check.  He could still see remnants of bruising on Dex's face from Len's brief spat with him.

"If you think I'm going to give away my countrymen, you've chased me down for nothing."

"I'm not here to fight you, Dex.  I'm searching for a way out of the Rhune.  And… I must ask that you cease these dangerous assaults on innocents."

Kaito was hoping a little diplomacy might finally serve him well.  "I understand your intentions in fighting the usurpers, but choosing their methods will not serve your cause."

"And who are you to talk to me like that?!" Dex growled, "Some other runaway noble looking for scraps?"

For a moment Kaito felt hesitation.  Of course, his plan had involved allowing the Loyalists to learn his identity but trusting it to just one man… was that wise?

"Why did you attack that factory?  They were merely glass blowers!  Mostly children… did your superiors know?"

Kaito kept his gun ready as Dex twitched.  "You wouldn't understand!  We had to make a sacrifice to stop the Emerald Dawn!  Do you believe that wouldn't choose even harsher tactics?!"

As he tried to shift around, Kaito refused to lower his pistol as his anger built up inside of him.  "Now, you tell me!  Who are you and what right do you have to make demands like this of me?!"

Kaito glanced over to Len.  "Up to you, 'Naoto,'" he said, "I think this guy's a little unhinged though."

'It's now or nothing…'

As Kaito pulled his scarf down, Dex's suspicions faded as he recognized the person in front of him.  "It… it can't be… you must be an imposter or…"

'I hope I haven't already given too much away.'

"I survived the fall of the capital.  I could tell you more of it, but I'd much rather know who is currently leading an army of apparently terrorists across the continent in my family's name."

"…. What could someone like you understand…" Dex growled as his shock began to wear off, "I was born to be a soldier, just like my father wanted.  I had expectations!  You were pampered and hidden away… do you even know how to fire that pistol!?"

For just a second, an impulse flew through Kaito as he imagined pulling the trigger and letting a bullet pass right near his surly opponent's head.  But he stopped as reason overtook him – a gunshot would draw too much attention.  "Dex, the last time I saw you, we engaged in a shooting match.  I don't think I need to remind you that I _won._ "

"You were shooting straw dummies.  Do you have the nerve to shoot a living person?  Would someone like you understand sacrifice?!"

Already Kaito's attempt at diplomacy lay crumbling before him.  What wasn't he understanding?  He knew Dex before, he'd never seemed a remorseless killer!  What had gotten into him to make him so much more callous? 

'Why can't I break through to anyone?  Will it always turn out like this?!'

Before Kaito could compose a true response, the sounds of a commotion in the square drew his attention.  "They wouldn't dare….!" "A firing squad?!" "Serves em' right!"

 

Luka marked up the last of the patient charts.  'Good riddance,' she thought, though she hesitated as her fingers traced along the name of Ryuto.

Now that the song of her childhood had set in, her resolve had only strengthened.  She'd spent so long with the Godmothers that she'd allowed herself to be chiseled into her barest elements.  Willingly, because it would give her the means to strike back.  But now she was questioning that method.  Making her emotionless might have dulled her reasoning.

She dearly missed the woman in her past, but recalling that past and the pain was proving far stronger a motivator now.  _He_ represented everything they'd died for.  And _she_ would strike him down in return.

There was still time to get them back.  She flipped through the notebook one last time before the amplified voice of a woman shouting through a speaking trumpet pierced the calm.  "Citizens of Rosenstadt!  Before you stand the criminals still clinging to the old ideals!  Those who refuse to release their loyalty to the corrupted crown!"

"Is that coming from the square?" Gakupo asked, "What in the world are they doing?"

Luka suspected she knew what they wanted, but held her tongue.  "As the Loyalists refuse to step forward, we've been forced to find them ourselves!  To make an example of them before everyone in Rosenstadt!  Dissent will not be tolerated!"

"Public executions…" Gakupo murmured, "How dreadful."

"They weren't so uncommon in Sudland," Luka spat, "When they wished to shatter the Condefere de Lys, they made quite a show of lining them up in a firing squad."

For a moment, Luka recalled Gakupo's father had been a soldier.  What if he'd served on one of those squads?

Maybe they really _were_ enemies.

But for some strange reason she was having trouble assigning the same level of guilt to Gakupo that she could for the Shion Prince.

Gakupo's hands twitched.  "Should we do something?" he murmured.

"There's likely not much we _can_ do, unless you intend to shoot your way through."

She doubted he had the nerve… but she watched him stand up and start wandering towards the edge of the hospital camp.  Luka's curiousity got the better of her as she followed him, grabbing a few necessary supplies along the way out of the camp.

 

"Friends of yours, Dex?" Len asked sarcastically, adjusting his hat.

The silver-haired Loyalist sniffed.  "Are you completely daft?  I wasn't in this city just to draw attention… I was trying to find out what the news about the execution was.  They're _supposedly_ about to execute several of our number to make a point."

"The Duke's old men?!" Len exclaimed.

"No… the Emerald Dawn."

If they were so close… Kaito realized he might have already lost his chance to escape.  "Naoto, we need to run!"

Kaito lowered his pistol.  This was already pointless.  "Are they really working with you?" he questioned his enemy.

"No… none of them are.  It's to make a _point_.  They understand.  They're willing to sacrifice a few people that don't matter to try and scare us into coming forward."

Dex blew a few silvery wisps of hair out of his face.  "We can't give in to people like that.  They'll get theirs in time."

Again Kaito felt his finger twitching on the trigger.  He'd been counting on people like Dex to help himself and Miku escape, but now he felt disgusted with it.  "No, you know _nothing_ of sacrifice," he said gruffly, marching out of the alley.

"Wait, Kaito, where are you going?!"

Len ran out in front of him.  "We need to duck out of sight!  We need to hide!  We…"

"I am _through_ hiding."

He brushed Len out of his path as he entered the crowd of onlookers.  He elbowed his way through, gasping as he felt someone jab his stitches.  But he knew what he wanted to do.  No matter how dangerous it was.

"…since not one soul has come forward to claim these criminals as their own… we've no choice!"

A woman with green hair tied up into a messy ponytail stood on a raised platform, shouting into her speaker-trumpet.   She and her companions still wore the white uniforms of Estmarch, but the green bands on their arms depicted their current loyalty.  Kaito gazed out and saw the gangly group of innocents rounded up to die in his stead.  If he felt any hesitation about what he was going to do… he lost it now.

He felt an arm around his.  He looked down to see Len again.  "You're serious about this, aren't you?" he hissed.

"I can't let them die…" Kaito whispered.

Len craned his neck to get a better look at the soldiers. "Okay… the woman with the trumpet, Sonika… she's probably not a party diehard.  She'd at least arrest you instead of just shooting you on sight.  If they do that, I know where they're going to take you."

Kaito eyed a large vehicle… big enough to transport prisoners.  "I'll grab Miku and we'll head the car off!"

He nodded to Len.  "Thanks for understanding."

"Since no one is stepping forward…"

Kaito watched the soldiers raise their guns and the crowd went silent in fear.  This was his last chance…

 

"I am!"

Miku shivered as she heard Kaito's voice break out in the crowd.  Why?!  Why was he doing this!?  Didn't he value his own life and safety?!

She tried to get through, already trying to plot how fast she could disable the soldiers and get him away regardless of how exposed they were…

Emerging from the crowd, she saw Kaito marching forward, undoing his hood and pulling his scarf down clearly.

"Isn't… isn't that…"

"No!  It can't be!"

"He's alive?!"

Kaito's presence seemed to unsettle the woman with the bullhorn.  "Are… are you identifying yourself as one of them?!  One of the… the terrorists?!"

Her strong composure vanished as Kaito climbed the platform.  "I'm identifying myself as Prince Kaito of House Shion.  And I demand that you release these innocents at once!"

Miku's anger and fear were tempered at seeing the determination in Kaito as he stepped forward into the line of sight of people working for the organization that burned his home.  She didn't want him to be so reckless but… it would have been unlike him to turn his gaze away.  To refuse to act.

"You… you expect me to believe you're the dead Prince?!  We already received confirmation of his demise!"

But Kaito held firm.  "The last Prince of House Shion stands before you.  You asked for the Loyalists to take responsibility.  Since they've chosen to act in my name before, then I will do so for them _now_.  So no innocents have to die today."

Miku pulled her pistol out… she could probably take out the commanding officer before she gave the order to execute and…

"… then you agree to surrender.  Release the prisoners and remand this man into custody!"

… no, now she merely needed to chase down the car and disable it with Kaito inside.  She eyed Len in the crowd and jerked her head away, planning to meet with him even as she saw cuffs put onto Kaito's wrists… She heard a flash bulb go off as a green-haired photographer grabbed a photo and she cringed – the last thing she wanted was _press_.  But that mattered not – all she had to do was rescue Kaito before it was too late…

 

Gakupo looked to his nurse, waiting for some reaction as they stood at the back of the crowd – just barely able to see the event… but she remained still.  Maybe he still had a chance.  Just one.

"Luka.  You don't have to do this."

_Now_ she had a reaction, spinning his way as her eyes widened in shock.  But that emotion faded into calm resignation.  "How long have you known?"

"From the first day you showed up.  I couldn't forget your eyes."

He tried to manage his most charming smile, but then he remembered Rin thought he looked rather silly when he was trying to be "charming" and tried to reel it in.  He wanted her comfortable with him, not repulsed.  Right now she didn't appear repulsed, but she seemed to be shaking from some emotion starting to take hold of her again.

"You put everyone in that hospital in jeopardy because you liked my eyes?  I could have killed you and your Cinderella."

"But you _didn't._   After… after you saved all those lives, I wanted to give you a chance.  I wanted you to know you have a _choice_.  I know what they put Rin through, I don't believe you're the person they made you _into_.  And… and Rin agreed with me.  She wanted to give you the same chance."

He watched her hands twitch, balling into fists, before relaxing again.  He wanted to make this count.  "You have a choice… you can save lives.  You don't have to take them.  You can let this one go.  There are people _alive_ in that hospital because of _you._ "

"I could just walk away from it all?  Pretend his life is meaningless to me?" She began to approach him, her hands out in front… she didn't appear to be reaching for a weapon.

"Well, I suppose that's a colder way to put it, but…"

Gakupo barely had time to react before Luka lunged at him, slamming him into the ground.  He tried to push her off of him before the flowery scent of chloroform rushed into his nostrils from the rag the "nurse" was pushing into his face.

"We Godmothers do _not_ assign value to lives.  I am a tool of their purposes, not a judge.  His life is forfeit!"

The anesthetic forced his limbs to drop as the sleeping sensation started to take hold.  "Choish… pleash…"

But just before he completely passed out, he felt the rag lift.  In the drug induced haze he couldn't tell the difference between Luka's footsteps or the dispersing of the crowd around him.  He became aware a few moments later of someone slapping his face and from the force he was certain it had to be Rin.

"Gakupo… Gakupo!  Did Luka do it?!  Where did she go!?"

"Schtop her… the police carrr…"

He was still slurring his speech, but the chloroform wore off enough that he could sit.  He tried to control the numbing in his tongue.  "She's still going to kill him… I couldn't talk her out of it…"

He looked into Rin's face and saw the sorrow in her eyes.  "You did your best.  Please don't feel bad.  It wasn't meant to be for her."

She moved to prop him up but he lightly pushed her away.  "No… you, Rin.  Go after her!  You could still catch her if you're clever…"

Rin appeared worried so Gakupo gave one more shot at the "charming" smile.  "Oh no, don't make goofy faces at me!  Fine, I'll go catch up to her!  I think I know where the car is _going_ so I can head it off!"

She propped herself back up on her crutch and hobbled away quickly as Gakupo woozily tried to stand.  "I hope I didn't get one of my patients _killed_..." he muttered.

 

Kaito kept his head down in the backseat of the car, two burly men blocking him in as it rolled through the streets at high speed.  Aside from being under military arrest, he wasn't too bad off aside from having one of the officer's guns prodding into his aching wound.

Being here might not be where he'd wanted, but for once he felt accomplished when he saw Sonika ordering the release of the innocently accused.

'Of course this may make the people believe I ordered those attacks… but better that then believing I'm such a coward I'd let others die in my place.'

All of a sudden the vehicle lurched forward as Sonika jammed on the brakes, sending Kaito sliding forward across the seat.  "The hell?!  Where did that car come from?!" one of the men shouted.

'Is that… Len?!  Miku?!'

Kaito guards bolted from the vehicle as he saw a large truck spread out along the road, blocking any further traffic.  Gunfire broke out as he saw signs of Len leaping out of the cab and sending Sonika nad some of the soldiers after him in hot pursuit. The nearby gunfire began to cease as he saw a whirl of green hair and knives approach what remained of his captors…

To Miku, normal soldiers were _nothing_.  The door flew open and he saw her face.  "You have a lot of explaining to do!" she shouted, but her gentle smile suggested her anger was rather mild, "We have to try and make a break out of town!  We don't have a choice, they closed in on the house!"

"I don't suppose one of those men had a key?" Kaito said, holding up his cuffed wrists to make his point.

He slid out of the car as quickly as he could manage in his predicament, landing on his feet and managing to stand despite the awkward posture.  He saw Miku quickly checking her down foes' pockets, but the sounds of more gunfire broke that up.  "Never mind!  I'll pick those cuffs with a hairpin when we get away from here!"

She gripped Kaito's arm and started yanking him through an alleyway.  "We can lose them back this way!  Len's making the diversion up and-"

Suddenly she shouted and clutched at the hand holding her pistol.  The weapon spun away as Miku gripped Kaito and pressed him into a solid brick wall.  Miku's actions made more sense when he saw a throwing knife bounce off the wall… and spotted the deep cut on her right hand from where the first one had hit her.

The owner of the knives leapt down from the roof, retrieving her weapon.  She looked quite the sight in a nurse's uniform, hat and all, though her pink hair flowed freely behind her.  "L-Luka… no…"

This was the first time Kaito could remember hearing Miku afraid…

"You've shirked your duty.  I'm here to finish it."

"NO!  I won't let you hurt him!"

Miku drew her dagger and lunged towards Luka.  The elder Cinderella easily deflected her, delivering several brutal blows to the girl as she struggled with her.  "KAITO!  Get out of here, please!" Miku begged.

"I won't leave you!" he shouted.

Miku managed to fight her attacker off of her, trying to get a good knife blow in before Luka did the same to her... the two women were clearly nearly evenly matched… Kaito tried to search for Miku's missing gun, but still being cuffed made it harder for him to maneuver.  He couldn't defend himself like this, let alone help Miku out…

With one good throw, Luka gained the upper hand and tossed Miku off of her into a pile of crates, a loud crash sounding out.  "Miku!  No!"

Nothing stirred.  "No… Miku… please… I didn't want to risk your life too… I just wanted them to be safe…"

"There is no safety for you, Prince Kaito."

He had never seen so much hatred in another soul as that which radiated from the woman before him.  She dove on top of him and Kaito valiantly tried to press her away as she knocked him over.  He let out a sharp shout as he felt the tearing sensation of his stitches finally giving out, but still he tried to keep the knife blade from plunging into his chest, holding up the chain of his cuffs to catch the blade fast…

"Over here!  Now!"

Sonika's voice rang out as a canister of tear gas landed close by.  As the smoke erupted, Kaito managed to push off his suddenly blinded attacker as his eyes began to sting.  He tried to stand before he felt two strong male hands yank him up to his feet as he coughed.  He couldn't even see the person that had grabbed him behind the gas mask on their face.

"Stand down!  You will stand down!" He recognized that voice as Sonika's.

"Holy hell, look at that cut!"

Kaito was only barely aware of the warm dampness soaking through his coat…

"No idea if he's the Prince, but someone sure as hell wants him dead!"

"Stop gawking and get them back to the car before we lose anymore time!  And get a doctor on the line to bandage him up, he can't give us any information if he's _dead_!"

Was he going to die?  Was Miku even still alive?  He couldn't even stand to open his eyes from the pain of the gas as he tried to gasp for breath, his lungs closing up as he kept inhaling it…

"Get her too!  She must be his accomplice!"

'Miku?'

"Unhand me!  You've no right!"

He heard the sounds of a scuffle as Luka, even disabled from tear gas, managed to hurl one of her attackers away from her.  But a loud crack and her groaning indicated she'd been subdued again…

"We'll pen them both up and see what they know.  Well, 'Prince', you've certainly got some strange allies."

They were about to jail him _with his murderer_.

Somehow… Kaito had made everything so much worse…

And all he could think of now wasn't his own life… it was the sight of Miku's body crashing through the boxes and his fear that he would never see her again…

 

As the gas cleared out, Len tried to make his way through the alley way, coughing as he felt the stinging in his face.  He grabbed for Dex's bandana and tried to tie it around his mouth to keep his breathing steady from what remained.  'I can't believe they'd use tear gas even on civilians now…' he thought to himself.

His diversion had worked – he'd lost his pursuers.  But when he'd arrived at the meeting spot where Miku was intended to bring Kaito… she hadn't arrived.  That was when he heard the canisters firing and the gun shots.

But as he tried to search the alley way, he saw the signs of a much worse scuffle.  Along with the empty canister, he recognized Miku's pistol, and a series of throwing knives.

"Godmothers?" he murmured.

He heard the sounds of coughing and he ran further through the alleyway… where he spotted a girl in a white dress hunched over what was clearly Miku's battered form, near a broken down set of boxes.  A familiar mask was strapped around her face, but her blonde hair was unmistakeable.

"Do you think you can stand now?  I work at the medical camp now, me and Gakupo can help patch you up!"

"K-Kaito… please, tell me what happened to Kaito…"

"I saw them load him into the car with Luka… he was bleeding from the surgery site, he must have torn his stitches… Luka wasn't conscious, I think they knocked her out…"

Len's first instinct would have been to call out to the girl, as she clearly wasn't harmful.  But something about her voice made him lose his… because even though their separation had happened when she was so young…

… he couldn't forget the voice that tormented him every day with his failure.

As he stood closer to them, it was Miku that saw him first.  She started to hail him, but coughed hard from the stress of talking again.  But her shifted gaze alerted the nurse to his presence.

And as she turned her head, tugging her mask down… Len saw his mirror image.  The same eyes, the same shape of her face, the same color of hair…

And right now, the same expression of shock… breaking down into tears as Len struggled to look her directly in the eye.

He knelt down to her, reaching out to touch her shoulder to assure himself he wasn't dreaming, but he still couldn't find his voice.

It mattered not, as the girl tugged him close to her in a tight, frightened hug.

Even if he didn't deserve to ever see her again… he clutched her tightly as well.

The Knight had finally found his Princess.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for that one week delay, hope the latest 9000 word opus makes up for it.
> 
> I have to say writing a more grounded story with no magic is forcing me to be more creative in how I solve problems now. I can't rely on the same tricks I used to – everything must follow its own logic after all.
> 
> So, fun fact – tear gas was invented in the mid 1910s, and first used in World War I. It was banned after this as a chemical weapon… but in the 1920s it started getting used for riot control against civilians. That's right, tear gas is too cruel to use in actual war, but it's apparently fine to throw it at your unarmed rioting citizens. I swear, sometimes I don't have to make this up or make Tonio a thinly veiled character of someone whose name rhymes with Schronald Schrump just to make some actual cruelty realistic.
> 
> I hope the much awaited Len/Rin reunion is what you all wanted, I thought it was great how many people started anticipating them finding each other again.
> 
> Miku and Kaito's codenames are of course based on their voice providers, Saki Fujita and Naoto Fuga. I used the family name of the Kagamine's voice provider, Asami Shimoda, since obviously Asami is a very girly name.


	7. Dancing Barefoot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Kaito jailed with Luka, his would-be murderer, the two are forced to confront uncomfortable truths about themselves and the world that has set them as enemies. All the while, his allies unite to save him from his fate whilst two unseen parties make their presence known...

The strong scent of acid, bleach, and fluid hung in the air as she opened the door to the tiny bathroom bathed in near darkness save for the sliver of candlelight.  Her partner barely noticed her presence, her still wet photographs hanging along a thin clothesline within the room.  The green-haired woman ran the last sheet of film through the developer bath, rinsing off the remaining halide solution.  Her black apron protected her clothing from the solution, a white blouse, orange vest, and deep green skirt.

"I take it from the speed you're moving that you saw something important today…?"

As she approached the photos drying on the line, she could easily make out the subjects.  The pigtailed girl wasn't even trying hard enough to conceal herself. "The assassin?  So she made it to the Rhune.  Maybe the Dawn turned on her?"

"You've been cooped up too long, Meiko.  Haven't you heard the news?"

Finally, the photographer spoke, pinning the last photos to the line.  "Take a good look – that _has_ to be him.  We both met him."

As Meiko approached the line, even though the black and white photos hid the distinct colors of his hair, she could clearly recognize the shape of his eyes, the firmness in his innocent face.  "Dammit!  Either that's the best imposter they've ever found or…"

The photographer removed her rubber gloves, resting them on the sink.  "We've accounted for the King and Queen, and now their son turns up alive?  This coup must be staged!  We must get these back across the channel as soon as possible!"

"Maybe…"

It wasn't like Meiko to be so unsure of herself.  She prided herself on her bold intuition.  And it certainly seemed like this must be the case – the Loyalists were choosing such poor targets, trying to make a show of crippling industry but choosing locations that still preserved the more vital military targets…

And yet…

She recalled the way the Prince spoke to her.  At first his eagerness seemed to mirror any of her other fans, wanting her to sign his albums and even proving he knew her songs by heart.  He asked so many questions of the places she'd performed, wanting to know every detail.  It was no great secret outside of Estmarch that the Prince had never left its borders.  She'd even felt sorry for him as she picked up the longing in his voice to escape his caged existence. 

But then his tone changed.  He spoke of grander ideas.  He revealed he wanted such a famous Nordland singer in Estmarch to try in his own small way to preserve the fragile peace that remained.  And missing from his pleas were any thoughts of surrenders or rewards.  He wanted peace because he feared for the multitudes.

Somehow he thought a singer could stop a war with her heart.  So childishly naïve…

… she never thought he'd deserved the assassin's knife he received that evening.  Naivety could be fixed – she was proof of that.  But that devotion to justice, that will to see the cycle of violence and terror end… that was needed in this terrible world.

"Meiko, we both know that staging the death of their son and letting a revolution run wild and upset the populous would only cement the role of the Shion Royals.  It's the most logical explanation."

"Then why leave him alive and make it so damn obvious what happened?"

She gestured to the pictures drying on the lines.  "How did you get these photos?  Who's he on stage with?"

The photographer could sometimes be a bit strange in dealing with people but… Meiko could always tell from the way she perfectly framed her subjects that she could see through to their hearts even when she couldn't decode them.

"Gumi.  Please, you were there.  What happened?"

The girl looked away, nervously clutching at her resting left arm with her right hand.  "He… he offered himself in exchange for the lives of innocents about to be shot by a firing squad.  I… I suspect he's been carted off to Fort Kahlgren."

"Well if he's kicked up enough of a fuss, he may finally be our ticket out of this hole!  And just think, as important as these photos are to ship off to the King… won't he appreciate it if we bag the real deal before we pop back into Nordland?"

Gumi stared at her precious photographs.  "Okay… we should be ready for anything then. There _are_ only two of us."

Meiko felt the need for a smoke as she reached into her jacket for her cigarette case.  "I know, it's not really fair to them, is it?"

 

After half an hour in his cell deep in , Kaito had come to the conclusion that in spite of the throbbing pain in his back, he wasn't going to die.  The thin bandages the soldiers had slipped onto him in a panic would have to cover that.  His white shirt was still soaked in blood.

He knew that he was to be interrogated.  His intel would of course be worthless, but he was certain that once the Emerald Dawn was done with him, he would be executed.

Maybe Tonio would arrange it.  It would only be fitting.

He looked across his cell to the woman in captivity across the hall.  No, Tonio wouldn’t’ have time to kill him – Luka would beat him to it.  She stayed silent but her intense hatred radiated through her solid gaze, her clenched hands folded into her lap, the tightness in her lips…

“The Godmothers hate me this much I see.”

“My feelings are irrelevant.  Innocent, guilty, we are deployed to kill you.  Your life is an aberration.”

Her short, clipped words told him little.  “And Miku?”

“She is derelict of her duty.  If I don't kill her, someone else will.”

Kaito began to understand why Miku seemed to fear her.  “… what did you do to Miku?”

Silence.  Maybe he needed another tack.

“How do you _know_ Miku?  Were you her boss?”

“Her handler.  I can assure you nothing she experienced was unique – I went through it as well.  It was meant to strip away our weaknesses….”

“… but I'm still alive.”

He wanted some acknowledgement of this obvious oversight.

“For now, Prince of House Shion.  Once _my_ superiors are reached, these fools will release me.  And then… I'll finish the job.”

Despite the fact that Luka wore the same set of shackles that bound Kaito, he could imagine her breaking free at the first opportunity and finishing her task regardless of whether these mysterious bosses of hers let her go.

All he could do was try to understand her and hope to come to some kind of understanding.

Maybe that would matter.  Even if he'd failed so many times before… he couldn't just give up yet.  Not if Miku truly was alive and trying to help him as she did so many other times before.

 

Miku tried to keep her calm as Rin cleaned up her injuries in the medical tent, wincing slightly at the sting of medical sprays on her open cuts.  To think Rin had been so close all along, trying to find them so desperately while Len tried to stay hidden…

"Rin, how did it… how did you… I mean…"

Len was even more shaken – having his sister back after believing her dead left him grasping for words.  "I just mean… you were… I saw the death certificate…"

Rin lowered her head in guilt.  "I… one of my targets put up a fight.  I still… finished him off… but I almost didn't survive.  That was how Gakupo found me.  And… well…"

Miku bit her tongue at the latest blast of peroxide, but she refused to scream or cry.

"… Gakupo wouldn’t leave me like that… it's just not in his nature.  I was only going to stay until my injuries got better, so I asked him to forge my death certificate to keep the Godmothers away from both of us.  But he didn't want to just let me disappear like that.  He kept trying to think of ways I could protect myself.  And… well, we do learn a lot about human anatomy in our Cinderella training…"

Rin put the sprays away.  "Gakupo and I kind of… guessed… that you were one of them.  That's why he helped you out so much.  He thinks all of us can be saved.  Even if…"

The way Rin trailed off worried Miku.  There was something important she wasn't saying.  Before Miku could press her further, Len interrupted.  "Rin, I don't know how I can possibly say anything that makes up for what happened but… but I want you to know we didn't want to give you up!  They lied to us!  They told us… they said you'd be taken care of… that they'd provide so much more for you than we ever could… we… we wanted you to be happy… we didn't even think… that they were…"

If Len had spent years trying to come up with an answer for his sister, that seemed to be crumbling as he actually dealt with the reality of her finally being in front of him again.

"When things on the farm started turning around, we tried to send for you… we couldn't stand to be without you… but none of the letters came back.  I went looking for you myself, and that's when I… I found your death certificate… I couldn't bring myself to go back home and tell them what happened… that's why… I… I worked with an evil man just to try and get back at the Godmothers and…"

Rin rose to her feet, walked over to Len, and grasped his hands.  "I'm sorry about what happened.  I was trying to protect you… I was always going to find a way to search for you all, I just didn't think of what would happen if you found that first…"

Len's stiffness seemed to vanish as he accepted his sister's kindness.  "Mom and Dad have a little farm out in the Grunebelt now… it's not much, but the roof doesn't leak and the fruit trees make decent money…"

"Ohhhh!  Do they have oranges?!"

Rin began to laugh through her tears and the two siblings hugged again.  Miku watched them and felt just a pang of envy, knowing nobody waited for her.  She heard the sound of rapid footsteps outside the tent and she prepped herself for anything…

"Ah, Rin, there's… two of you?!"

Finally, Miku found herself back in the presence of the purple haired doctor once more.  "Waiiit… two Rins… that must mean… OH!  So _you're_ Len!"

The siblings released their hug and Rin tried to quell her laughter.  "Wait, we look _that_ much alike!?  I don't think I look THAT girly!" Len grumbled.

"Oh Len, don't mind Gakupo, he's a little slow sometimes!"

Gakupo twisted his hand behind his neck in embarrassment.  "Even with such emotion, you still find a way to wound my heart!"

Len approached Gakupo and bowed his head low.  "You saved my sister's life.  I'm indebted to you.  I should have been there for her so it never happened…"

Gakupo tried to smile, but the odd stretching around the corners of his mouth revealed his awkwardness.  "I'm just a doctor!  It's my duty to see my patients through to good health!"

His smile grew more genuine when he spotted Miku.  "AH!  It's been quite some time since we met, Miss Miku!  I trust you've been well-cared for in my absence!"

"Yes…"

Miku wasn't even thinking of herself, she was trying to think of how she was going to get Kaito back.  "I wish I could be more cheerful, but Kaito has…"

"Ah, yes, I saw him turn himself in today.  Such a brave young man."

Miku began to clutch at her sides as the reality of that sacrifice sank in.  "Len and I tried to free him, but a Cinderella caught up with us, beat me up, and almost killed Kaito… the city's soldiers made off with Kaito again while I was still fighting off the tear gas…  Now Kaito's in prison and for all I know that woman has already…"

"Oh… now I'm starting understand that last phone call I got."

What in the world did a phone call have to do with their situation.  "I'm sorry?" Miku asked in confusion.

"Well, I mean, to be more specific, it was a call to the camp, looking to spare medical personnel to attend to someone urgently in the prison.  Something about torn stitches.  Well, my caseload is already a great deal lighter so I offered to go with my nurse and patch the poor fellow up!"

 _Gakupo had access to the prison_.  "Gakupo!  This is it!  We can bust him out!" Rin said excitedly, "We can't just leave Kaito there to die!"

The doctor's swagger seemed to falter.  "W-well it will be no small task smuggling four of you in…"

"You're right…"

Miku rose from her seat.  "We shouldn't smuggle four of us.  It should just be the doctor and his nurse."

"Hmmm… I'm not really at my best for fighting my way out on this crutch," Rin said, before she caught on to Miku's suggestion.  "Ohhhhh!  I got it!  Len, how are you with hotwiring cars?!"

Len's nervousness vanished as he followed along with the plot.  "I got that truck, didn't I?!  We just make a quick stop back at the house and…"

"AH!  We're about to be arrested!"  
  
Miku fumed as she recalled the original information she had been trying to relay to Len before the afternoon had exploded.  "The police are coming to the house to arrest you, Len… someone turned on us."

Len grumbled.  "Guess I don't have as much pull in the underworld as I used to," he muttered, "Rin, I hate to ask, but how good is your acting?"

"I think I can manage!" she said with a smile, "I suppose you guys left something important?"

"Yea, our ride out of here!  I guess that leaves Miku to play 'nurse'…"

All eyes rested on Gakupo.  "Um… I'm sorry, I'm feeling a bit lost… and now _quite_ nervous when you all stare at me like that…"

Rin managed a giggle in all the rapid planning.  "Oh, don't worry, you'll be a _natural_ actor!"

 

Kaito cradled his injury as the pain shot through him a second time.  “The Cinderellas are nigh impossible to corrupt.  What did you offer to Miku to turn her away from her mission and condemn herself to death?”

So his unlikely jail companion was back to a speaking mood.

"I can assure you I had no inkling I was the target of an assassination until the moment I was stabbed in the rose garden."

The blood staining his clothing should have been clue enough that his death-defying injury was genuine.  "You expect me to believe that?  You just coddled her and filled her head with lovely stories until she was so struck by love that she wasted the poison meant to aid her escape on you?  Applying it by knife point no less!"

In that moment, Kaito could recall the moment he was attacked so vividly he could even remember the faint sounds of the music inside as he clutched Miku close, the sensation of uttering that impulsive vow of love as the final bells tolled…

She let out a disengaged laugh.  "Your family pry loyalties with threats and false promises… surely she slipped up somehow and you found a way to frighten her into aiding you!"

He could remember that brief moment of elation at hearing Miku return that pledge before the knife pierced his back and cut him out of his carefully managed illusory life…

"… do you think so little of Miku that she would be incapable of making her own choices?  There is nothing crueler than to deprive another of their freedom… but the way she tells it, you are no better than what you suggest of me.  Your tactics to strip away 'weakness' sound like nothing more than torture to innocent young girls!"

“They wouldn't even _exist_ if your family didn't burn every single field and city they didn't own as punishment for their independence!”

Her eyes narrowed.  “Do not ever speak to a child of Sudland of freedom.  You've no right.”

Sudland… they bordered the ocean.  Across a great channel from Nordland, two countries so defined by their opposition to each other their names in the Estmarchian tongue only identified where across the ocean they lay across from each other.

Until the time they were swallowed up by Estmarch entirely.

'That was the second Rose War… I was but 9… her hatred for me began that long ago?'

Then what had happened to her?  Was she there?  Did she know… the truth?

"Maybe I have no right because I have no knowledge of the situation."

"What is there to know?  You and your family took everything from us to satisfy their greed."

"I mean I don't know what happened _in_ Sudland."

Kaito knew how ridiculous he sounded whenever he confessed ignorance to such events, and it hardly seemed to calm the rightly-offended woman in the cell across from him.  "I know it became part of Estmarch, but I assure you the history presented to me was likely not correct.  I was told when it happened that Estmarch was growing so my parents could give me a true Empire to rule when I came of age.  That terrible people were defeated so the people of Sudland might come into our 'glorious fold.'  When I was a child, I believed anything they said to me.  When I was a teenager, I tried to question it, only to have my rights to live freely restricted the more I asked.  I've never been allowed out of the castle on my own and everything spoken to me has been carefully cleansed.  I wanted to believe there was some righteousness in it because the alternative was so grim…"

"How can you possibly be so ignorant…"

"… because _I_ was their prisoner too."

Speaking his fears aloud, giving them form, didn't grant him any peace.  It only further unsettled him to recognize how he'd lived.  He loved his family, but they had stripped him of any autonomy.

"Now I want the truth.  If you were there in Sudland, tell me how it fell.  Tell me what happened to its people."

He knew if Luka chose to answer honestly, that he'd only feel more horrified to dig deeper into the truth of things.  But he couldn't suppress his natural curiosity and the burning desire for the absolute facts.  "Please tell me what happen to _you_."

Luka was silent for several moments, looking impatiently at the floor.  Kaito began to worry he'd slipped up again.  He began to fear that no matter how he yearned to properly reach out to other people and understand them, his own isolation had forever severed any hope he had of even basic interactions with others, let alone the complexities required for diplomacy.

'… maybe that was why they sent someone like Miku.  Some to trick me into thinking I actually knew what I was doing.'

… but Miku had chosen to spare him after that one evening… she'd pledged her life to him instead… He'd succeeded at least once, even if he hadn't realized what he was talking her out of doing…

"I'll tell you what happened, Prince of Shion.  You won't like it."

Kaito raised his head up.  "I've heard that before."

 

"Hands up, Kagamine!  We've got you surrounded!"

Rin screamed with all her might as the police came barreling up the road, leaning close to Gakupo as several men and women in uniform approached them with pistols drawn as tears ran down her face.

"Wait, I think you're making some kind of mistake!" Gakupo shouted as he nervously put his own hands in the air.

A man with curly light brown hair approached him, wearing a black fedora on his head.  "No mistake!  Come on, Kagamine, you're under arrest for… for…"

The officer got a good look at Rin as she made the tiniest, girliest squeak she could imagine.  "Wait a minute… that's not… that's a GIRL!"

Rin looked up and wiped some of the tears from her eyes.  "You thought I was a _boy_?!" she cried out, deliberating pitching her voice even higher than normal.

"W-w-well I mean… in the dark you… and the reports said… Clara, get over here!"

A brunette officer with sunglasses resting on her head ran over with a clipboard full of paperwork.  "Captain Bruno, I'm just giving you the intelligence we have!  These people kept seeing a boy looking like Kagamine come through here!  And when she's dressed like _that_ …!"

Indeed, for Rin was standing before the police wearing a tanned brown shirt, black vest and trousers, and crisp black shoes, a red ribbon around her neck, her hair pulled back into a small ponytail.  With the long brown coat around her body and the red scarf, her gender would be hard to distinguish from a distance… or in the low lighting of the dusk sky…

'Sometimes… it's _good_ to be a twin…' she thought to herself, barely able to contain her glee even as she continued to pretend to be scared out of her wits.

"What are we supposed to think?!

"Gee, I dunno, check her for… you know… a bustline?"

"Come on, a bustline on _her?!"_

As officers Bruno and Clara continued to argue, Rin stole a glance behind her.  Two shadowed figures slipped out the window of the kitchen, satchels in their arms, slipping them into the vehicle and crawling into the backseat.  She lightly pinched Gakupo's side to get his attention.

"OW!  I mean OW…fficer!"

"WHAT?!"

Captain Bruno shot him an angry look.  "I mean, if isn't too much trouble… you see, I'm trying to hurry to Fort Kahlgren.  An urgent call reached my station in the Rust District, and I was simply coming to get my car so I could follow along…"

Captain Bruno stomped over.  "What?  They don't invite people to prison if they're not criminals!"

'Come on Gakupo, don't mess this up!' Rin thought to herself.

Gakupo hurriedly pulled out the paperwork provided to them from the hospital.  "I… I'm Doctor Kamui!  This young lady is my cousin and nurse, Rin Kamui.  We've been summoned to help patch up a possible patient!"

To Rin's ear, she could hear Gakupo's nerves breaking in, but to the officers, they noticed no unusual amount of stress.  "Perhaps if you could give my nurse a moment to change from her street clothes, you could show us the way?"

Captain Bruno looked everything over and huffed as he jerked his thumb in the air.  "Fine, Officer Clara, drive them to the hospital and then find out who the hell messed this up!"

As he stomped away, the brunette approached.  "Just follow my car."

And so Rin dashed into the house, continuing the next step of their plan…

 

Kaito listened with rapt attention as Luka relayed the forbidden history to him.

"Sudland and Estmarch often clashed with each other.  But the fragile peace we'd had from your grandmother's reign lulled the LaFleur Monarchy into complacency.  That's why when Estmarch charged across the northwest border, nobody was in position to stop them at first.  They took the most valuable cities for themselves so quickly… and then the fighting began.  A year long stalemate as the last of the military loyal to the LaFleur Dynasty kept trying to hold off the juggernaut of Estmarch.  They said the bodies laid out in the sun for days…"

Luka gestured to herself.  "My home, Saint-Famille, was in the northwest.  To them, we were but slaves to be exploited.  My mother continued running the family bakery, but my father was conscripted into the factories.  She kept trying to hide me from the worst of it, but even I saw some of the brutality.  Of course there were plenty that tried to stand against them, and that defiance was always met with further brutality.  They rounded up my neighbors, several at a time, and many of them never came home."

"Eventually my father and mother got wrapped up in resistance.  We heard the Estmarchian resolve was faltering from the stalemate.  The military presence began to pull back as they sent more of their men to fight the LaFleurs.  That was when the Confedere de Lys reached out to us and we eagerly joined them."

'Confedere de Lys?' The name sounded familiar to the Prince.  He realized he recalled one of the _many_ anarchist groups his parents would warn him about, still active in the kingdom.  'The Lily Confederation…' he thought to himself, translating from Sudlandian.

Luka continued her tale.  "The Confedere provided us enough men between themselves and the resistance to take the city back. But we made a severe error.  We thought wresting such a valuable economic center from Estmarch would break them entirely, providing the LaFleur military the breakthrough they needed.  Instead… it merely emboldened them.  They sought to make… an example of us."

"The first sign we had of their coming was the relentless sounds of cannonfire. Then thousands of men charging into the streets.  They cared nothing for who or what they were killing.  The streets ran red with blood.  I tried to hide in the bakery, like my parents told me to do, but they never came home.  And then… the fires began.  My entire home consumed in flames… I don't remember much past when I passed out from the smoke… and when the Godmothers pulled me from the ashes."

Kaito barely realized how tightly he was clutching at his side as the horror of the situation sunk in.  "They razed an entire city merely to make a point?!"

Luka leaned back, merely looking weary.  "Such is war… after they showed how little mercy they possessed… the LaFleurs tried to flee Sudland entirely.  The Estmarch army caught the royal family and executed them right at the border.  All from one single day of horror."

"Those who remember, we still call it the 'Jour de Cendre.'"

'Cendre?  Cinder?  Like Cinderella?! She's not a Godmother either, she's a Cinderella… just… just like…'

If she was nine when she was pulled from the ashes and turned into a Cinderella, then everything she'd suffered through with the Godmothers she was now forced to inflict on others like her.  'And my family created this… My parents ordered this!  All to take Sudland for our family!'

"I tried to give my life today for those innocents, worried that allowing such evil to continue in my name would only tarnish us.  To think that our name has already been so thoroughly destroyed before I could have ever stepped up for them…"

Luka's eyes turned back to him, but they seemed different.  Not angry, not hateful... but not kind either.  "This may mean nothing now, but I truly apologize for the wrongs inflicted upon you, your family, and your countrymen.  I know not how to repair them, but I cannot simply give up my life to that end."

"Coward.  You could have avoided being here by simply shooting that woman dead.  Instead you wanted everyone to know about you?"

She seemed to be gaining her wind back.  "Did you expect to gain honor from this?!"

"I expected to save their lives."

It sounded so innocent, but Kaito saw no point to misleading Luka after she'd done as he wanted.  “If she was only following orders, then I couldn't in good conscience shoot her.  If I gave myself up, I could try and resolve things without anyone else dying.”

"So… you're still trying to find your parents, aren't you?  Tell me, if you speak to them knowing what you do about Sudland, what will you do?"

The question he still couldn't answer for himself.  The question he knew he was going to have to answer before he saw them again.

"I… I _will_ make them see reason.  I must!  The bloodshed has only continued with the Emerald Dawn in place.  I have no power to stop them besides appealing to them as their son… maybe if I prove I know what I'm talking about, they'll finally listen…"

It didn't feel like it was enough.  It was doubtful Luka would be appeased by this.  He couldn't kill… did he just not have the nerve?  Did they still scare him somehow?

 “Luka, regardless of what was done to you… clearly you still have a great deal of love for the people you lost… for them to steal that from you.”

"Do _not_ attempt pity for me.  It will not spare your life…"

The anger in her tone worried him.  "Now that you know what happened, you know why I _must_ kill you.  Why I am loyal to them and them alone.  Your family destroyed me, and they took me and… took a discarded child and made use of her.  That's what they do for all the Cinderellas.  I owe everything to them and nothing to you.”

"No!  Don't you see the way they've taken advantage of you?!  Miku never asked to be an assassin… and… and neither did you!  If all you wanted was revenge, why weren't you the one sent to kill me sooner?!  Why were you doing their dirty work!?"

"You… are a fool…"

She seethed quietly in her cell.  "When they let me go, I'll only kill you quickly because I can't spare you surviving…”

Before she could continue, the door to the cellblock opened up as Sonika entered, the keys tightly clutched in her hand.  "You.  Your surgeon's here.  They're going to patch you up and take you straight into interrogation.  For some dumb reason, Tonio wants you alive."

'So I wasn't wrong about the order of events…' Kaito thought to himself.

The officer marched up to Luka's cell.  "Nobody in command has _heard_ of you.  We spoke to Noir, and she said… you matched the description of a dangerous criminal they've been seeking.  We'll deal with you _later._ "

For once Kaito saw Luka express surprise.  'Wait… did they just… turn her loose?'

"There… there must be some mistake…"

That answered that.

Kaito couldn't help but feel sorry for her after all the loyalty she'd professed.  As Sonika opened his cell door to escort him outside, he watched her rocking around in disbelief.  "I'm sorry…" he found himself saying to his enemy.

She looked up to him and for a moment he saw that contempt return.  But it shifted… "Prince of Shion, a word to the wise.  Remember the face of every person who wears a mask of white.  They shall be your enemies."

Luka's last warning before Kaito was dragged out of the cell block proved a puzzle.  'The last time I saw white masks was the ball…' he thought to himself, 'She wouldn't have said something like that if she wasn't planning something though… she hardly wanted me to survive…'

 

Before long he was led into a dingy surgery on the top floor of the old fort.  "You're lucky we found someone this late," Sonika muttered, "The last thing we need is you bleeding out before Tonio gets a look at you and tells us whether you're _really_ who you say you are.  But after that stunt in the alley… well, it's obvious you're important to _someone_."

He saw the purple-haired surgeon strapping on gloves.  "All right, Rin, are my tools ready?"

"Of course, Gakupo."

'That voice…!'

He tried to control his reaction as he looked at the nurse in the surgery with him.  Clad in a long white dress, her face covered by a mask and her hair shielded by a nurse's hat, nobody would know who she was.

Save him.

'Miku!  Miku's alive!'

"Hrm… I realize security is an issue but could we possibly get these chains off of him?" Gakupo asked, "It would be easier to redo the stitches and…"

"Of course not!" Sonika barked, "And don't try anything funny.  There's guards everywhere in this fort.  As soon as he's patched up, he's going straight to the General!"

'So much for an interrogation…' Kaito thought.

"Ah, s-s-sorry!  I'll try and do my best given the… ah… unusual circumstances!"

Kaito laid out on his stomach along the table as Gakupo pulled his shirt up and started to undo the bandaging…

 

"I really think I look better in these clothes than you, Len," Rin teased.

"Oh, hush," he grumbled.

Len was down to an ill-fitted white shirt and brown pants, held up by a pair of black suspenders.  He tried to blow off the chilly air around him, because he couldn't bear to let his sister go without a heavy coat.  He only had his scarf to keep him warm.

They slipped through the vehicles carefully has he looked for just the right one.  It would need to be big enough to ram the gate and get them out, but easy enough for him to drive so they could make off with it.

He eyed a rather large truck with a trailer attached to the back and smirked.  It was almost as large as the truck itself, with a great white sheet tied down on top of it.  He tugged at the sheet to look inside and saw mostly assorted broken parts from other cars stacked up high.  'A junk trailer…' he thought to himself. "Rin, I think I've got my car!"

He watched Rin hopping over.  "Are you going to be okay on that leg?"

"Not gonna lie, having to walk so far without the crutch wasn't great," she said, "But I can work through this at least a little longer."

"Okay… I have a pretty crazy plan… how comfortable are you driving once I get this car started?"

Rin smiled devilishly.  "I'm sure I can manage whatever you're thinking of.  Okay, so we just need to signal Miku when we're ready, right?"

Len slipped into the car through the open window, unlocking the doors.  Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his simple tools.  Stealing two cars in one night?  He hadn't been _this_ busy in months.

"How'd you get so good with stealing cars anyway?" Rin whispered as she kept watch.

"When I needed to find you, and then after I gave up… well, I was a dumb kid with no real skills and I needed money and connections.  I fell in with the underworld and started getting a rep as someone that could do easy jobs without causing too much of a stir.  Just… thefts, fencing stolen goods, sometimes moving couriered packages around under the cops' noses…"

He cursed as he pinched his finger in part of the ignition.  "Well eventually I moved up high enough that the Duke picked me up.  For worse.  Blackmail, treason… a lot of people got hurt.  He never had me kill anyone, but… if he wanted that done, he probably had Akiko handle it.  And I got some stability out of it.  By then I knew about the Godmothers and… I just thought that if they'd gotten you killed, maybe working with the Duke long enough would get me close enough to get some revenge for your sake…"

"I'm sorry I worried all of you.  I didn't think you'd find out."

Rin sounded so guilty.  "I… Len, I was an active Godmother… I've taken lives… I've done so much worse than you did…"

"Because they MADE you do it!  You wouldn't do it now that you have a choice, right?!"

The engine roared to life as Len turned his spare key.  "All right, finally, some success!  Rin, give em' the signal!"

Rin pulled out a pocket mirror and moved into the light of the headlamps… she started to trace the light along the side of the building, spying the purple rag Gakupo had left tied out the window…

 

"Well I have to say, for a hardened criminal, you've been quite the well-behaved patient!" Gakupo laughed as Miku wrapped up Kaitos newly stitched knife wound.  His side tingled from the injection of localized anesthetic. "And obviously, _whoever_ took care of you before must have been _quite_ the pro given how well your wound appears to be healing!"

"Um… thank you?"

Kaito didn't quite know what to say in light of Gakupo's statement.  'Wait… was this the doctor…!'

That would explain how Miku had slipped in.  Given that Kaito had been unconscious when he'd originally been operated on, he wouldn't have recognized the doctor's face…

'What exactly are they…'

A loud explosion rocked the outside, Miku grabbing Kaito in fright as Gakupo dropped his surgical scissors.  "What was _that_?!"

"Dammit, you're trying something, aren't you?!"

Sonika began to pull her weapon, but before she even got her hands on the trigger Miku had rushed across the room.  Snapping her arm across the commanding officer's hand, she disarmed her, then began to choke her just as Kaito had seen her perform on Teto so long ago…

Miku dropped the unconscious woman to the floor, bending down and checking her pulse.  "Safe…" Miku murmured under her breath, "Okay, I don't know what that explosion was about, that wasn't us!  We were waiting for…"

"That!  That's Rin…Rin's signal I mean!"

"What are you talking about?!" Kaito murmured but then he noticed a white light bouncing around the walls.  "Is that coming from outside?"

Gakupo rushed to the open window and gave a wide wave.  "All right, I'll just tie this rope here and we should start getting down!"

He pulled a rope from his backpack and began to fasten it tightly.

Miku was already running through Sonika's pockets before she pulled out a key.  Dashing over to Kaito she quickly unlocked his shackles to his great relief.  The metal pieces clunked on the wooden floor and he rubbed his wrists eagerly.  "I'm so glad you're alive, Miku," he said softly.

"I'm sorry they captured you.  I should have predicted when you stepped up so publicly that a Cinderella would seek you out first."

She slipped the mask off her face and Kaito could see the scratches left from her fight with Luka.

"Ah, Miku, about Luka, we… we spoke about… a lot of things.  Why she harbors such hatred for me."

"Luka isn't someone whose actions are driven by hate.  You have to understand that.  She's loyal to the Godmothers to the end…"

Miku spoke so coldly of her former handler.  'Well, who knows what Luka put her through.  She's right to be distrustful.'

"I think the Godmothers have tried to release her.  Will they treat her as they have you?"

He'd certainly seen the extent of Luka's loyalty, and how could he question that after knowing what she'd suffered?

"If they haven't already ordered the Dawn to kill her, they'll probably do it themselves."

"What?!  What reason do they have?!"

To Kaito's surprise, Gakupo seemed particularly upset.  "Nevermind, where is she being held?  I can't abide knowing someone is about to be wrongly murdered!"

The sounds of gunfire approaching reminded Kaito of his need to escape.  "We don't have time.  Trust that Luka is strong enough, okay?!"

She tossed the keys away as she pushed open the door, pressing a pistol into Kaito's hands.  "Here, in case you need it.  Gakupo already said he wouldn't shoot anyone… "

"-Hippocratic Oath!-"

"… so I'm counting on you, Kaito."

Kaito thought he saw Gakupo grab the keys off the floor.  "You head down first!" he said, "Len and Rin are waiting down on the ground level!"

The Prince leaned out the window.  "We're at least two stories up…" he said as he watched the rope dangling precariously down.

"Right, and try to take it as carefully as you can, lest your stitches come undone again."

Kaito tried to gather his courage as he stared at the great height.  "Kaito, I'll be right behind you, okay?" Miku said, "We've already done so much together, I'm sure this is nothing."

'She's right…'

He climbed out of the window, gripping at the rope carefully and trying to hang on.  He felt it slipping and gasped before he got a proper hold and his body stopped falling.  'Okay… down easy…'

He tried to pick up his pace as he heard the gun fire again, passing by a window and even peeking into his old cell…

'My… cell?'

He tried to lean in further and he realized he could still see Luka inside her own, just across…

'If I leave her here… she'll die… but if I free her… I could…'

 

Luka sat in her cell grasping at her knees.  There must be a mistake.  They called the wrong person.  They told the wrong story.

They couldn't be abandoning her now.  Not now!  Not after all she'd given them!

"Gakupo!  The keys!  Throw them down!"

She perked her ears.  That sounded like the Prince's voice… from outside?

"What?!  Kaito, we don't need those-"

"Luka's still in her cell!  I can't abide leaving her behind!"

There was no question it was him.  She looked out the barred window from his prison cell and she saw his face again.  "I… I won't spare you…" she shouted, "They're upset that I haven't kill you yet.  If I do it now…"

She could still go back!

But that infuriating Prince wouldn't leave.  "Gakupo, we don't have much time!"

"Gakupo, don't you dare-"

"Kaito, catch!"

She saw the Prince briefly swing out of view before returning to the view.

"The Godmothers have shown neither I nor Miku any mercy.  I cannot leave you to their whims.  If that makes us foes in the future, so be it.  But I cannot ignore someone unjustly made a prisoner."

And with that he threw the keys straight through the bars of the window, the bars of his cell, and she watched them slide just into reach outside her own.

"Those will undo your shackles as well as the door.  Good luck."

Without another word her hated foe slipped out of sight.  She leapt forward, shackles and all, and crawled along the floor and slipped the key ring around her fingers, pulling them in with her. 

"Miku, we're ready for you!"

Luka looked the keys over to figure out which one she needed, but cursed and started trying them all in the locks.  She still had time to fix this, she just needed to get loose!

She glanced up as she saw a pair of familiar green pigtails swaying past the window.  For a moment she locked eyes with her former charge.

To Luka, Miku had always been too weak and fragile.  She didn't have the drive a Cinderella should have.  But the Godmothers wanted to cultivate that fragility… take the sadness she radiated to turn her into a potent trap.

'They sent Miku instead of me… had they sent me, this would have ended already…'

But when she looked in Miku's eyes now, she didn't detect that weakness.  She saw only unwavering strength.

"Do _not_ come after Kaito or else I'll kill you."

And Miku was next to slip out of sight.

The final face she saw was Gakupo’s.  She slowed her movements.  Something about the sorrowful look on his face made her chest tighten.

“Luka.  We're going to ram the front gate.  They'll pursue us, not you.  Take advantage of the chaos and escape.”

And then he gave her that ridiculous grin again.  “Ah!  Surely we won't be enemies again after this!”

She got the shackles open and jumped for the door.  She still had time!

 

"Okay, that's everyone!  What happened down here anyway?"

Miku would have expected resistance by now, but nobody was coming towards the parked vehicles yet.  "Not sure yet," Len shouted from the seat of the truck, "Someone blew the gate open and we keep hearing gunfire!  Maybe it was the Loyalists?!"

She looked to Kaito for a moment.  "Should we wait for them?" she asked, hoping he would say 'no.'

"We need to get out of here as swiftly as possible," he said, "If they still wish to find me… they'll figure it out.  What is our intended route of escape?"

Rin patted the side of the truck.  "Len and I will take care of this rig.  We'll swing it by the car, and you, Gakupo, and Miku will get into _our_ car.  We've already worked out how we intend to avoid pursuit, but we need you three ahead of us to be certain!"

"Such risk…" Kaito murmured.

"Oh nonsense, I'll be handling the driving!" Gakupo laughed, "I've missed sitting behind the wheel!"

The gunfire sounded closer.  "Okay, come on, everyone get into the cab," Len ordered, "this switch is going to have to be FAST!"

 

"Where the hell did they go?!  It's just _two_ women!  How come nobody can hit them?!  They've taken out two dozen of our men and women!"

"We would if we could find them!"

"Wait, sweep the spotlight over there!"

For just a brief moment, the fort spotlight caught sight of a woman in a green uniform wearing a gas mask over her face.  But just as quickly she was gone… and another burst of gun fire knocked out the lights.

"They're like a pair of ghosts… how dare they make a mockery of Zweissen's finest?!"

A bright flash of light appeared near the gate and for just a second another women in the same type of uniform was visible as she knocked out several more soldiers trying to stop her with the butt of her gun.

The chaos only amplified as the sound of screeching tires heralded the approach of a convoy vehicle dragged a trailer behind it.  "Holy crap, that's going to ram the…!"

The truck slammed into old wooden gate, causing it to explode into splinters as it passed through the threshold…

 

"NOW!  Get in the car and get ahead of us!"

Kaito leapt from the truck cab door, his heart pounding as the adrenaline of his escape took hold.  They were running in near darkness, and he could only rely on following Miku's white uniform to make out where the car was.  He heard the opening of doors and in the dark he fumbled around until he felt the handle, jumping into the backseat.  Before he got the door closed, he saw someone else grab the door – a woman in a green uniform with a gas mask covering her face.  He reached for his gun before he heard her muffled voice.  "Hey, hey!  Take me with you, me and my partner have been waiting for the lot of you!"

"The _lot_ of us?!" Miku shouted suspiciously.

"Who do you think drew away all the guards?  If you hadn't shown up, we were going to break you out ourselves."

Even with her voice muffled under the gas mask, Kaito couldn't get over how familiar it sounded.  "Look, we know the route you guys need to take!  Come on, let a gal help you out!"

He pulled her into the car.  "Ahhhh… okay, four of us then!" Gakupo said cheerfully, "Um, wait, you said there were two of you?"

"Don't worry about Gumi, she's already secure on the truck."

Kaito heard the truck revving up again as the gun fire approached.  "Just go!" Miku shouted at the driver, "We'll sort it out later!"

The car lurched forward and through the broken remains of the fort's gate.  "Okay!  Directions!" Gakupo shouted, "If you're so certain that is!"

"Left!"

Kaito slid around in the backseat, trying to protect his fresh stiches with his hands as the car jerked around.  He heard the truck picking up speed behind him as they righted themselves.

"We can't just dart around when Len has to move such a big vehicle!" Miku shouted, "Give us some more warning next time and-"

"RIGHT RIGHT RIGHT!"

As the car swerved again, Kaito saw Gakupo's panicked face.  "All right, seriously, more warning next time!" the doctor called out, "I'm not that good at-"

"LEEEEEEEEEEFT!"

 

"What in the world are they doing?!" Len shouted as he tried to keep the tiny car visible in the light of his headlamps.  They were driving through another factory row now, with the streets widening out around them.  "I thought we were taking the route up through Mauskirchen?"

Rin tried to examine the car from her position.  "Did they picked up another passenger?  It's kinda hard to tell from here…"

She squinted, but in the dark it was hard to tell how many people were in the car.  There were definitely two people in the back seat, but it was impossible to figure out whether that was Miku or…

"You don't think someone's holding them hostage?!  Like a godmother?!"

Rin hadn't been a Cinderella in several years now, so she couldn't entirely rule out a change in their tactics, but this didn't seem correct.  The car corrected itself after one more wild turn.  "This'll turn us off towards Katzhagen… they might know something we don't…"

The sound of a screechy siren let Rin know that their pursuers were rallying.  "Len, keep the car steady, I'm going to head out to unhook the trailer!"

"Are you going to be okay!?  Your leg…"

"I'm fine, Len!  Don't worry so much!"

She smiled warmly for him.  "I'm practically an expert!"

With that she wiggled out of the cab window, clutching the side of the truck tightly.  She could see the red lights of police… soldiers…

'We kicked up a hornet's nest!' she thought to herself.

But she still had her plan to carry out.

She wiggled along the back of the trailer, shouting as Len swerved to chased the vehicle with her other friends in it and almost knocking her off.  'I just have to get to the hitch!' she thought to herself.

As she crawled close to the trailer and moved into range of the pin, she tensed up as one of the pursuing cars pulled into range close by.  She could see the barrel of a gun coming out of the door.  She was unarmed…

A hail of bullets rained down from the top of the truck, taking out the car's engine and causing it to swerve off the road, crashing into the side of a large factory.  Rin glanced up to see a woman in a gas mask on top of the vehicle, her green hair flapping around the straps.  Rin watched her for a moment, waiting to see if she was going to shoot at her next, but instead the woman kept her attention on the road behind her.

Whoever she was… she was helping.

Rin slipped on the bumper of the trunk, bending down and undoing the pin of the truck… causing the trailer to go flying off the truck.  Rolling out of control along the road, it overturned and spilled its junk pile along the street.  The fleet of pursuing cars began to fall apart as several of them crashed trying to avoid the junk or popping the tires of the cars from running over it.  Soon there were no signs of any more headlamps in direct pursuit.

'We… we made it…'

She began her trip back to the cab, but as she watched the woman on the top of the truck that had saved her life, she waved to her.  While Rin couldn't see her eyes, she did watch the green-haired woman's head tilt slightly.  "This way!" she shouted.

 

Kaito kept his eyes on the streets behind him, watching the many pursuing lights dim until he only saw Len's headlamps behind him.  He finally allowed himself to breathe… and tried to banish the satisfied smile from his face.  'We all could have died at any minute!' he tried to reason with himself.  But the beating of his heart from the excitement of another successful escape was hard to deny.

He'd done it.  He'd saved lives AND he'd preserved his own.  And even better… the escape had gotten the lot of them out of the Rhune.

Ahead of the Emerald Dawn.

He'd accomplished something!

"I think Rin and Len took care of the police…" Gakupo said, nervously gripping the wheel.  I never expected to be such an active criminal… I do hope the hospital is okay in the aftermath…"

"Right, but where are we driving right now?" Miku asked curtly, leaning back to the woman in the backseat.

"You don't care where you're going right?  You just needed to get out of the Rust District!" the woman said, "My intel this evening said the Loyalists were fighting along the route to Mauskirchen… so the road into Katzhagen is open because they didn't have enough guards to staff it.  This was our best shot."

Kaito looked to the passenger in the backseat with him.  "Now that the police are out of the way, I must know your name, miss," he said politely, "We are assuming you are a friend for now, but I do wish to know if that will change."

The woman's delighted laughter surprised him.  "You know, I told Gumi I'd know it was really you after just a few moments chatting!" she said as she undid the straps on her mask, "Nobody is as polite as you are, Prince Kaito!"

As the mask fell, Kaito's jaw dropped.

He was staring right into the eyes of his idol.  Meiko Sakine.  Just her being here made him realize the person he'd met, the person he'd adored from afar, was not the person she'd told him she was.

"You're… a Nordland spy…" he whispered.

She gave him a soft wink.  "We'll need gas soon… I'll explain everything when we get to Katzhagen… okay?  And please don't hold it against me…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a note for my AO3 readers: I don't have a way to send out notifications on chapter delays, but I will always post notices of them on my deviant art profile (Rebochan) and on my Wattpad profile (also Rebochan!) and Tumblr too (Rebochan again!) if I get a chance. So if you get here on the update day and the chapter isn't up, go check one of those accounts for the news :) 
> 
> Okay, a two day delay wasn't too extreme, was it?  I think from here till the end of the story I'm going to stick to Sunday nights as my update day.  It’s just working out better since I'm doing most of the writing on the weekends.  And here have a late-debut for Meiko and Gumi, who I've wanted to get more of before this point but kept needing to get more bits in from the other characters first.
> 
> So next on the list of underused Vocaloids are poor Bruno and Clara, the two least popular Vocaloids ever made getting the thankless job of trying to arrest Len!  I kept holding them off in the stories because I was looking for something more prominent for them to do, but I've worked out who I want to use and where so alas, they get a tiny, tiny part.
> 
> I thought I might have been stretching history a bit to include actual trucks in the story, but they were in fact in increasingly greater use by the time of WWI.  I learn a lot writing these stories too!
> 
> I was asked on Wattpad and thought I should answer more directly, but while Flight of Cendrillon invokes imagery from Cinderella, I set it outside of my "Vocaloid Tales" series since it's more directly referencing Signal-P's "Cendrillon". 
> 
> Speaking of Signal-P, I slipped a reference to another song of his in here in a very shameless way.  I am not apologizing for it either ;)


	8. 3 Steps at a Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the aftermath of a grand escape, Kaito and Miku must confront the sudden addition of two women with their own agenda, as well as the precarious position they now find themselves in. Meanwhile, they have yet to find safety within Estmarch as the repercussions of Kaito's actions begin to ripple outward...

_The first time she felt the whip on her skin, she screamed._

_"First reprimand, Luka."_

_Always making mistakes.  Always failing.  Within a week her skin, still bearing the scarring from the fire, now bore fresh red marks from where the rope snapped against her._

_"Child of ashes, you must prove your right to live.  Your Fairy Godmother saved you.  Do you not love her?"_

_Though they spoke her language, their thick accents marked them as hailing from the same place that the invaders came from._

_"You must perfect yourself.  Feel nothing.  Be nothing more than a blade.  Cinderella followed orders, as shall you."_

_To her, becoming a princess only meant one thing – destroying the people that had ruined her and snatching the crowns from their heads._

_One day, the whip would touch her flesh and she felt nothing.  She did not cry.  She did not whimper or shake._

_And so the knife was placed into her hand and she was sent to her first kill._

_Though her first thrust was lethal, it wasn't deep enough, giving him just enough time to slash her face with the last of his strength, leaving a long cut along her face, over her right eye._

_Yet even as the blood dripped down her eye… she felt nothing._

_Cendrillon suffered, but never broke.  Cendrillon toiled, but stayed forever strong and graceful._

_She would become like Cendrillon and one day she would ascend as she had.  Then and only then would she feel anything again._

Blood ran down her right hand as Luka drove blindly down the dirt road.  She'd had a messy escape from the prison.  A bullet had grazed her as she escaped in the chaos, but she'd managed to weave through the city and evade her pursuers.  Now only two thoughts raced through her mind.  In order, 'This is a mistake!' and 'I can still fix this!'

Over and over.

She sped off the road, hearing bullets firing after her as the stunned soldiers surrounding the trailer quickly realized the military car did _not_ belong to one of their allies.

This was all happening because she dropped her defenses.  Because she let something vile and terrible corrupt her.  She had the Prince right there, and she didn't try hard enough to kill him!  And that wretched, terrible man felt _sorry_ for her?!

In the dark ahead she saw the road begin to fork.  Which way would the Prince have gone?

She had him _right there_ and she hadn't even thought to interrogate him.  While he was yammering on about his thoughts and feelings… she could have coaxed something out of him!

Her car slowed to a halt as she had to make a decision.

'Which way?'

If she killed him, would anything matter anymore?

If she let him live, she would most assuredly _never_ live freely again.

Never.

She yearned to feel nothing once again.

She saw headlights behind her.  It was decision time.  What was her best option?

'I must stay in pursuit.  I have no other choice.'

Cendrillon ran from the Prince.

Luka would run _after_ him.

Three steps at a time.

"Hmph, not much of a place, is it?" Meiko sighed as she ran her fingers along the dusty surface of the coffee table.

With Kaito, Miku, and Gakupo gathered around with the sudden addition of two women, the tiny room in the quaint bed and breakfast was already feeling rather cramped.  Rin and Len had already run off to get some gas – Kaito suspected they just wanted more excuses to spend time alone given their long separation.

In spite of everyone feeling exhausted, there was to be no sleeping without the singer and her camera woman explaining themselves.  While Meiko seemed to possess all the personality, Gumi was the more somber of the pair, sitting on a well-used wooden chair while Kaito rested on what was to be his bed for the night.  "Meiko, was your acceptance of my invitation merely a lie?" he finally asked.  A harsh question, but given how he'd spoken to her that night perfectly convinced of her sincerity, an honest one.

She twitched under the question.  She swayed back to face him, her hands folding front of her as she smiled.  "Ohhhhh, please don't misunderstand things, Prince!  I wasn't trying to use you… persay… but…"

"… your invitation was very convenient given Nordland's need to assess the situation in Estmarch."

"G-g-g-g-GUMI!  Not like THAT!  This is why I do all the talking!"

Meiko's overt scolding of her partner didn't even phase the photographer as the woman calmly sifted through a large envelope of photos.  "Look, I'll be upfront with you.  Yes, Gumi and I are spies.  As such a prominent singer in Nordland, I was recruited because I could get into places normal spies couldn’t.  Like the castle of Estmarch."

"I fail to see how I wasn't simply being used."

Kaito couldn't conceal his crushing disappointment.  "To think my appreciation of your talents and your position in Nordland was simply an excuse for you to steal from me…"

Meiko tried to recover.  "No no no, you don't understand!  Nobody knew anything about you in Nordland!  It's not like any of us have met you.  There were even rumors you weren't even real… and if you were that you'd be like _them_.  I didn't expect you to be so… well… nice…"

"-she felt sorry for you."

"GUMI!"

For all the consternation the green-haired woman was causing her partner, she kept a rather serious face as Meiko twiddled her fingers around.  "Listen, Your Highness, I was just happy to find out that you were still alive.  Gumi took pictures of your 'assassination' and-"

"She has _pictures?_ "

Miku sounded nervous as that revelation appeared.  Gumi casually lifted a few gray photos out of her bag and flicked them onto the table in front of them.

All of them of the final moments when Kaito's life was still normal.

The moments of intimacy he'd shared – the kiss, the hug, the whispered words in the rose garden.

But the photos revealed what he hadn't seen – Miku reaching under her skirt, pulling out the knife and applying the toxin that sent him into a coma.

The moment of his stabbing.

He clutched his bandaged wound as if it were fresh.

"These aren't the _only_ photos I took of course.  I was quite busy that evening, trying to account for all of the guests, their interactions with each other… and your date was strange because after all the research Meiko and I had done to prepare for the event, she was someone neither of us had heard of.  So I paid very close attention to her…"

For a second, Kaito thought she detected something approaching regret in Gumi's voice.  "I would have intervened but it all happened so quickly… and a simple photographer stopping her escape would have drawn attention to myself and Meiko… all I could think to do was shout and hope someone would come to his aide…"

Kaito stared into the photographs, a wretched reminder into the worst moment of his life, preserved perfectly for eternity.  Miku reached out and touched them, her fingers shaking as she rested them on the one of her stabbing him.  For how cold and precise her actions appeared in the photos resting in front of her, the girl sitting on the bed with him showed far more emotion at being confronted with the act a second time.

"So your Highness," Meiko said more seriously, "That's enough about us.  You were supposed to be _dead_ , but you're still alive.  So who are you working for?"

Kaito wanted to snap at her – making such an accusation against him!  But before he could speak, Gakupo of all people spoke up for him.  "Ah, I can fill in some of these details I believe.  After all, I was the one that patched him up the night of the attack on the capital."

Meiko looked the doctor up and down like she hadn't even thought to consider him before.  "And now you helped him break out of prison.  Isn't that a little suspicious?  An assassin that easily breaches the castle, a doctor that escapes with her… it would be the perfect setup to stage a politically convenient event…"

The doctor seemed to find her supposition amusing as he burst out laughing.  "Oh, I assure you I'm not really that devious!  But the night of the attack, the young lady brought the Prince to me.  And ah, the distress and sorrow in her lovely blue eyes, how could I say no?  Though my nurse and I tended to his wounds, she was never far from his side the entire night, worrying to his health."

"… there's no reason to stand up for me, Gakupo, though I appreciate your kindness."

Miku's shaking had ceased as she addressed the two spies.  "Kaito is innocent.  I was deployed by the Fairy Godmothers to win Kaito's trust and assassinate him.  I chose to spare his life and go on the run with him instead.  I've yet to uncover the identity of the person who ordered his death and kicked off the coup."

She sounded so much braver now when she spoke of her actions.

"Fairy Godmothers…" Meiko muttered, "Who the hell are they?  Gumi and I got chased out of the capital by a woman in black, long light green hair… we thought she was a kid, honestly.  We managed to lose her but we thought she must have worked for the Crown or something given how persistently we've been pursued."

"Another Cinderella?  For you?" Kaito wondered.

"I don't believe our actual identities were discovered," Gumi said as she gathered up the photos again, "But I took quite a lot of photographs that night.  I suspect I captured something I shouldn't have aside from the assassination itself.  So what are these 'Fairy Godmothers?'"

"If you're such fantastic spies, I shouldn't have to inform you of their existence."

Meiko jerked around.  "Hey, we're not completely blind!  You think nobody outside of Estmarch noticed just the right people starting to drop dead without their assassins being caught?  We thought the Royals were in the middle of purging their rivals, given all the insurrections rising up.  Even the trip to the castle could well have been a death trap for all Gumi and I knew!  Nobody in Nordland knew _what_ was happening down here except that Estmarch just kept absorbing everything around it!  Belgica, Daenmarch, Lucilin, Holtland…"

"…Sudland."

Kaito finished it for her, the guilt of the "Day of Ashes" rising up again.  How did he know that Luka's town was the only one?  How many more Saint-Familles had there been?

"Prince, if you come back with us to Nordland, you can tell us everything you know."

"That would be _nothing_ , as per usual," Kaito said.  Coming to grips with his own powerlessness in the prison cell, of finally recognizing his status as his parent's prisoner even as the people of his kingdom believed him a powerful man… even if he trusted Meiko, which he didn't right now, he had nothing to offer.  "As I told Miku, I am little more than a glorified figurehead.  The extent of my political intrigue was the ability to extend an invitation to a ball to a singer I greatly admired."

"You're joking… even if you had no direct power, you must have heard something or saw something important.  You were around your parents all the time..."

"I have nothing more to give you!" Kaito shouted, cutting her off again, "You… you wasted your time on a worthless asset!"

"Kaito…" Miku whispered.

Gakupo stepped into the middle of the room before matters grew more heated.  "As a medical professional, I must point out that everyone in here is no doubt exhausted, and several of us are injured.  Hence, I would prescribe that all major decisions should be made after _everyone_ has slept soundly."

Gumi gathered her things.  "So be it.  If you try and run off, we'll just chase you anyway."

"GUMI!" Meiko hissed.

The odd woman's demeanor seemed to keep even Gakupo on his toes.  "Now, we only have three rooms, and only one of them has two beds… can I understand you two ladies will be sharing your own bed?"

Meiko's smile returned as she winked and put her hands on her hips.  "Of course… Gumi and I don't sleep apart."

Gakupo began to count on his fingers.  "Well then, that would mean… ah!  Rin and Miku can take one room, and I can take another with Len and Kaito… well, that's three people… do we have enough…"

"I will be staying with Kaito."

The doctor grew flustered at the suggestion.  "OH!  I-I-I-I mean I didn't realize you two were-"

"Miku is my bodyguard.  I assure you there is nothing indecent taking place in this room."

He didn't even wait for Miku to explain.  He wanted to lift some of her heavy burden, if only for tonight.  "I'll trust you and the twins to sort things out with the last one."

Finally, the invading spies and the doctor had left and it was only Kaito and Miku once more.  He watched her begin to undo her own pack to change her clothes.  "Miku, are you okay?  They were quite cruel to you."

"It was to be expected," she said bluntly, "Even you didn't trust me after what happened between us.  Why would complete strangers think I had committed to altruism?"

Miku bundled up her clothes and wandered into the bathroom.  "Your bag is over there – I got your bed clothes in there before we ran."

When the door closed, Kaito took that as his cue to change.  He walked over to the bag and started to pull out fresh clothes.  His mind returned to the way he'd seen Meiko tonight.  When his freedom was so heavily restricted, the records his servants acquired for him were a lifeline to his troubled heart.  Meiko possessed such a unique talent, as if even on the recording she sang just for him.

Perhaps he'd crafted an impossible image in his head of what this mystery woman was like.  When he'd finally had the chance to meet her face to face, she seemed to match that image.  But now he knew she was merely entertaining him – any connection he'd thought was merely an illusion.

'While she stole from my family…'

As he slipped the shirt over his head, he ran his hands along the fresh bandages. He glanced back to the door where Miku was changing and reflected on his connection to her.  Had they not met under even worse circumstances?  Yet he found himself trusting Miku more than anyone in his life now.

He found himself worrying that he'd been too quick to judge again.  Was he really that angry at Meiko?  Or was he upset with his own failure to read into her interest in him?

‘I can't help it, my allies and my enemies are so hard to tell apart.  I even gave Luka more of a chance.’

Miku came out of the washroom in fresh bed clothes.  He tried one more time to be gallant.  “Miku, that couch is far too small.  Please take the bed-"

"You're injured.  I'll take the floor tonight."

He glanced to his accommodations - how to convince her to take care of herself?  It looked like a bed large enough for two.  He swallowed his bashfulness – this wasn't for intimacy after all!

"You're injured as well.  I cannot abide any injured person in my company sleeping on the floor.  The bed is large enough for both of us."

As the suggestion registered to Miku she let out an embarrassed gasp.  "I-I-I-I could not think of imposing on a _Prince_ like this and-"

"Miku.  They already know where I am and that I'm alive.  You must be in peak health to be a successful bodyguard.  That is all I intend to ask of you."

Finally, she seemed to accept the kindness out of necessity.  Kaito crawled into the bed first, turning away and facing into the wall.  He felt Miku's weight on the mattress and his heart pounded just a little harder for a moment as the blankets tugged over her.

"I apologize, I should have said something sooner, but… Miku, I'm relieved you're safe and sound.  I worried over you when I thought Luka might have killed you."

He heard Miku curling up tighter in the bed.  "I couldn't think of anything else but rescuing you, Kaito," she said softly, "I don't know why fate led me to you, but… I must protect you.  When we get to Westheim and you're safe, I'll leave, I promise."

He recalled his conversation with Len earlier in the day.  Of his worries about Miku's behavior.  He couldn't imagine she was holding up well after seeing the photographs on the table.  'I know I forgave her but when she talks like this, it feels like I haven't done enough for her.'

Miku sometimes appeared to be two people – at once strong and frail, unstoppable and fearful… was this a result of what happened to her?

Kaito recalled his conversation with Luka.  Of the horror she'd revealed to him.  "Miku, before we sleep, I must know… are you aware of the Day of Ashes?"

"Hmm… I've never heard of it."

So it might not have been widely spoken of further away from Sudland.  "Then what did they tell you about how Sudland fell?  How that Rose War ended?"

He wanted to know how far the deception ran.

"We knew it couldn't have been pleasant after such an utter victory.  We were told the Sudland royal family conducted a bloody campaign against their own people after they tried to surrender to the might of Estmarch.  That their executions were punishment for a great crime."

'So… everyone was lied to.'

"Kaito, did Luka tell you more than that?"

Of course.  Miku had known Luka before.  She would have guessed her history given her accent, even if Luka had concealed as much of it as she could.

"She told me of my family's cowardice.  Of a massacre conducted against her home.  I… I couldn't blame her for wanting me dead… I told her I had to live to set things right and…"

The light came back on at the edge of the bed and Miku sat up.  "You're not tired either, are you?" she asked calmly.

"… no.  Too much has happened today."

Miku walked over to the chairs and pulled a long green coat out of her bag.  "I'm going to take a little walk until I'm tired.  Would you like to come?"

She tossed the coat on right over her night gown, buttoning it up so tight it was hard to tell she wasn't wearing proper clothes underneath.

"… yes.  I would."

 

The few streetlights of Katzhagen provided a dim light as Miku stayed near Kaito.  She wanted to relax – there were so few people out here after all – but it was difficult to do so after seeing him hurt today.

She wasn't sure she could handle sleeping, but after hearing Kaito trying to make sense of the day's events, she wanted to give him the chance to feel better.  Besides, she wasn't going to sleep.  Not after seeing those photos again.

Miku looked up into the sky and spotted the waxing moon.  'The moon is almost full again… almost a month already?'

She wasn't sure how to feel about her place right now – she'd saved Kaito from death and departed the wretched cycle of the Godmothers against her.  She could walk outside freely.  She could speak of whatever she wished.

She felt guilty, but even as terrible as everything in the world felt right now… she was starting to feel something resembling happiness again.

She heard Kaito's footsteps come to a stop and she turned to see him watching a small pond, approaching it as he drew his deep blue coat closer during a strong gust of wind.  He knelt down in the grass, intently searching for something.  "Did you drop something?" Miku asked.

"OH!  Ah… well, it's… it's not… wait, maybe this will work!"

He reached down and plucked a small stone out of the grass, turning it over in his fingers as he inspected it.  "It's flat and thin… we might have some luck with it."

Kaito reeled his arm back and tossed the stone into the lake, watching it skip along the surface twice before sinking into the water.  "So the Prince still has a sense of play?"

He looked a little embarrassed at his childishness, but that didn't stop him from grabbing for another stone.  "Here Miku, you can have this one."

She took the sleek stone into her hand and stared out at the water.  She hadn't skipped stones since she was an innocent girl.  Gamely, she tried to do it anyway, reeling her hand back and hurling it – watching it plunge straight into the waters like the rock it was.

"I guess I don't know what I'm doing…"

"Then I'll show you."

Kaito handed her a second stone, keeping one for himself.  "You need to hold your fingers like so… your index finger like this…"

She tried to mimic the position of the Prince's fingers.  "There, perfect!  Now just watch me… when you throw it, it shouldn't be that hard.  Just snap your arm…"

Kaito stepped near the lake and this time as he tossed it, she watched his movements carefully as his stone managed to bounce off the water twice again.  The movement seemed so precise, but by now Miku was good at precise movements.  When she snapped her arm and released the rock, she made sure to follow through the entire way…

"WOW!  Four skips!"

Kaito sounded so impressed as Miku rock skidded along the surface twice as far as his had gone.  "I should learn from _you_!"

Miku found herself joining Kaito for a few moments in searching for more stones to throw.  Soon their hands were overflowing with them, Miku resting hers in a small pile.

"So did you receive royal stone throwing training, your Highness?"

Kaito laughed at Miku's excessive formality.  "Only if being taught by my Grandmother counts as 'royal training.'"

His next stone made it three skips.

"She taught me to do it.  When she was still alive, I would tug at her skirts whenever I wanted to play.  We'd retire to the great pond in her rose garden and throw stones for hours! I learned many years later she'd have the servants scour the pond for the rocks after we departed to ensure there were enough for the next time.  When she was gone… I'd just do it myself.  It helped me to remember her… it gave me a return to simpler times."

Only one skip on Miku's.  "Do you wish for that now?"

Kaito's stone plunged into the water from a particularly careless throw.  "It's so tempting to me to idealize everything _before_ that fateful ball.  I was just a prince, I was just supposed to learn and grow and hide from the world.  But looking at it now, I knew how unhappy I was.  I can't look back at myself then without seeing how much I allowed to happen."

Miku threw her next stone a little too strongly, but it still made two brisk skips along the water.  "What could you have done?  You didn't even know what was happening.  They concealed all of these truths from you to keep you compliant!"

Kaito barely managed to get another skip out of his next stone.  "I may not have known what exactly was happening, but I still knew something was wrong.  Yet I stayed content within the walls of that wretched castle.  I wish I'd been as strong as you are.  That I'd taken such a risk to escape their sight.  I could have fought my way out, I could have snuck away and run… then I could look at myself now, even if I failed, and admit I'd _tried_ …"

In their first encounter, with Miku wearing the clothes and title constructed of lies, Kaito had so easily opened up to her.  But here he was doing the same without any of those false pretenses.  He knew who she was, and he trusted her with his worries and fears.

She wanted to ease them.

"Kaito, you saved those people today without a single thought for yourself.  I saw your true character, and I'm certain that everyone else there did too.  You love your people… you'll save more now that you're free."

Kaito's throws seemed to be stabilizing.  "No… but I won't excuse my past self.  From the way Meiko was talking, Sudland's 'Day of Ashes' wasn't the only atrocity I have to answer for."

'Kaito has so much on his shoulders… the crimes of other people…'

"When you were asked to commit murder… you stayed your hand.  I can't imagine the pressure they placed upon you."

No, he couldn't.

Luka was her handler.  Luka had given the order.

Luka was sent to kill her for failing.

But Miku had let Kaito save her.

"You spared Luka. "

Kaito hesitated before he threw another stone.  "I still don't know what either of you endured.  What she did to you.  I just couldn't leave her to be killed… not after what she told me my family visited upon her.  A massacre that my family name will never live down.  She survived it only to be forged into a weapon against the family that stole hers. "

Luka was her handler, her mentor.  Thus she performed the training on Miku meant to harden her, perfect her skills…

… except when she herself was on missions.

Then Miku would be left with other Godmothers.  And they were always so much harsher with her, teaching her how to live without, to endure suffering.

Sometimes when she saw Luka return, she saw her with barely healing injuries that she would shrug off.  And in those moments, Miku felt fear at what her own missions would be like.  But she was preserved, kept pure even as she trained without rest.  Eventually the physical assaults stopped to leave her skin clear and her body unbroken.  Punishments would be loss of food or warmth.

She learned to silence her crying.

Somehow, she'd always known she was being groomed for something unique.

She never knew if Luka hated her for that, but when her mission to kill the prince was assigned, the woman seemed agitated.

In one moment, Miku hated Kaito for risking himself to let Luka survive when she thrived on his dying.

But in another, Miku knew she could have stopped him from releasing her and she refused to.

Quietly, she'd decided in that moment to take responsibility for protecting Kaito from her as long as she had to.

It was up to Luka to decide what her own freedom would mean.

"Miku, how many groups are there out there like the Emerald Dawn?  More organizations like the Emerald Dawn that were fighting my family?  My parents often complained about rebellious elements."

She tried to count on her fingers, pressing her last stone into each one.  "I didn't know the Dawn very well, but there was a great deal of resistance from the nations your family conquered.  The largest is the Confedere de lys from Sudland of course.  But the Emerald Dawn… frankly it feels like they swept in out of nowhere, silencing the others."

"Hmmm… so the only real faction opposing them is the Loyalists…"

"If Meiko and Gumi are connected, they might be able to provide you some more background than I can."

Kaito held onto his last stone, turning it over and over in his fingers.  "How do I trust her after everything that's happened?  She admitted she had other motives."

Miku didn't entirely trust her either – but she also doubted Meiko had the means to truly upset their plans in returning to Westheim with Kaito.  At most she'd likely try to convince him to return to Nordland instead.  "You know her better than I do…"

"Clearly not," Kaito quipped.

"… I'm just saying, it's poor cover for a spy to gain fame.  None of us Cinderellas were famous.  I doubt she was a spy first and a singer later."

Maybe Miku just knew what to look for in people being forced into things they weren't happy with.

"You really think so?"

Kaito continued to hesitate on throwing any more stones.  "When I was still imprisoned in the castle… her records were one of the few things I enjoyed without guilt.  She would sing of wonderful things I wanted for myself, with such power and strength…"

This woman had become an image of freedom for Kaito.  She could never live up to that image, but for her to have used his love for her to get close to him?  Miku recalled the way he lashed out at her when he first awoke after the attack.  More than anything, Kaito feared being used.

'But Meiko wouldn't have known how Kaito thought of her.  And she _was_ upset that he was seemingly murdered.'

"Logically, she wants the same thing you want – no war.  She came to Estmarch to stop one, even if she intended to do it through espionage.  You both share the same goal.  We may be able to get useful information out of her.  And…"

Miku didn't like to admit she couldn't protect Kaito by herself.

"… we… we still need allies.  If we're to arrive in Westheim safely."

Kaito stepped away from the water.  "All right… I'll speak with her.  Perhaps she can help, even if she clearly wants something out of it.  Better she's at least honest about her relationship to us."

The Prince's innocent smile returned.  "It's strange, Miku, but it's always easy to speak to you about these matters.  I appreciate you continuing to indulge me."

Miku found herself smiling at just seeing Kaito happy.  "I'm doing my best to help."

He gestured towards the edge of the pond.  "Would you like to join me in one last throw before we turn in for the night?"

She walked to Kaito's side.  Gazing up at his face, highlighted by the dim November moonlight, she couldn't help but be struck by his handsome profile.

The night they met, she'd told him she loved him.

In this moment, with him so close... she wondered if that had been sincere.  If those feelings still churned in her heart.  Yet somehow no matter how many times he told her he forgave her, it felt shameful to admit that someone like her could love him.

She turned away to the water and on the count of three, Cinderella and the Prince skipped stones along the pond.

 

Once more bathed in the red moonlight, Miku danced with Kaito as she counted out every minute of their shrinking time together.  She kept praying somehow the minutes would stretch out, that the bells would never toll, that she would be forever in his welcoming embrace.

The sea of white masks covered the faces of every one of his enemies, only Kaito remaining pure, his face as open as his heart.  "Cinderella," he beckoned, "I can protect you.  I can make you a princess.  You'll be happy at my side."

She followed the prince, her heart pounding, leaping down the stairs three steps at a time.  In a castle where orphans gathered, he seemed as if he were a seraph, embracing her deceitful love with his pure wings.  The bells tolled and she pulled into his embrace, thrusting the knife forward with an eternal farewell.  
  
She heard the flashes of the camera bulbs as her terrible crime was recorded for all time. 

 

Miku bolted awake, clutching the sheets close to her body as if drawing another person close to her.  She released them as wakefulness claimed her sanity, hoping Kaito hadn't noticed…

"Miku are you okay?" he said, roused awake by her sudden motions.

Of course he would notice.  She carefully checked her face with her fingertips, and was relieved the tears were only in her dream.

"It was only a dream, Kaito… please don't worry about them."

She stepped out of the bed, even though the sun had barely risen in the sky.  She checked a clock on the wall – it was only 7 am.  "I should prepare for the day.  We don't know how long we can safely stay here."

"Oh, of course!"

She felt guilty waking him.  He deserved sleep, after all.  "This little inn will be serving breakfast.  I doubt it's much, but we still have some money for it…"

"Oh, I wonder what they'd serve in a sleepy place like this!" Kaito said happily, "Hmmm, maybe some kind of oatmeal or toast…"

She couldn't help but smile slightly at the thought of Kaito marveling over common food again.  She dug through her bag, as if she was looking for her clothes, before her hands curved around a familiar hard, long object wrapped tightly in soft cloth.  She felt it over carefully, ensuring the precious heirloom was intact – miraculously, even with their multiple escapes, it hadn't broken.

"If you need help when you talk to Meiko, I'll stay with you."

She slipped her black dress and white blouse out of the bag.  'I should be grateful Rin and I aren't that different in dress sizes… nobody even noticed when we switched clothes even though I'm a little taller than her.'

  
_"_ _In the moonlit night, the echoing sound of water dripping, and the melody of the countless sighs that eats deep into the heart…"_

As Kaito left the bedroom, he heard a familiar melody being sung by a familiar voice, accompanied by a piano.  'Is that Meiko?'

He walked through the hallways and found the brunette woman wearing a long ankle-length red dress underneath an elegant but practical red wool coat.  While she wasn't heavily made up, she looked far more feminine today than when she was wearing the men's uniform she'd stolen.  Her fingers graced the keys while she sang the familiar melody.  Kaito glanced around and noticed the inn keep was absent – so right now he and Miku would be her only audience.

_"The cold, freezing breath is white, you have always been encouraging and protecting me…"_

Kaito realized the familiarity of the melody wasn't because it was one of Meiko's famous songs, but something else entirely.  "Is this… Flowers Falling in Ruins?" Kaito asked.

Meiko kept playing the melody uninterrupted, even as she stopped singing to speak.  "I've never heard of that song… this one is 'Poem Weaved in Ruins'.  We sing it in Nordland."

Kaito listened to the melody as Meiko played a few more notes.  "Is there other song popular in Estmarch?"

"Yes.  My music teacher taught me how to sing and play it.  It's a folk melody, but it's quite similar."

"Oooooo!  A music teacher?!  Why didn't you say you could play?"

Meiko scooted over on the piano bench and patted the open spot.  "I keep trying to teach Gumi to play piano, but she says she only likes music when _I_ sing.  Sweet talker."

So, Gumi was more than just a co-worker.  Kaito had trouble imagining the blunt, cold woman he'd met the night before being loving and open, but then again he _had_ just met her.  It was somewhat comforting to know she had another side to her.

"Okay, you play yours.  I have to hear this!"

'I thought I was supposed to be discussing strategy!'

But for a moment he felt that spark of joy that an admired musician was asking _him_ to perform for her.  He began to play his own melody, singing the words he'd taken to memory.  _"Covered by thin clouds, the pale moonlight begins to shine on the ruins.  As we stood still, the rubble beneath our feet piles up and collapses, screaming audibly..."_

Kaito heard Miku taking a seat.  'I hope she isn't getting bored.'

He stopped playing a moment.  "That verse and yours are so close, see?  That's why I thought it was familiar."

Meiko grinned happily at him.  "Okay, you play your next one and I'll teach you the way my song goes!"

_"_ _Lightly, the white petals drift down, burying the black shadow, freezing us as it continues to gather up…"_

"AH!  My song has the white flowers in it too!"

Kaito stopped playing as Meiko took over.  "See, like this! _With my back to the cracked walls, I sing… Tears fall as I look up to the sky… The white flowers that dance down unexpectedly are so beautiful…"_

The two of them continued going back and forth, in a stranger half-duet as each one tried to teach the other something deep and personal through the only common language they had.  By the time they'd finished, Kaito looked back to Miku as if to apologize, only for her to be staring intently at him.  'Is she… blushing?'

"Well well well… maybe our songs were the same a long time ago, changing as the singers separated over time… I'm impressed you know so much though!  You didn't bring that up."

"No, I had… other matters to attend to that night…"

Now the more difficult subject reared it's head again.  "Meiko, I'm sorry I was cross last night.  You must understand my situation."

"Oh, I'm not mad.  It's all business."

Her pleasant personality slipped away.  "I doubt you came down here just to talk about music."

Before Kaito could say anything else, he heard the sound of the innkeeper returning.  "Ah… well, if we're to speak about certain things…"

Meiko smiled.  "Oh, anything you can tell me is good!"

He felt a little more confident now at least.  For whatever reason Meiko had fashioned herself into a spy, he could at least trust that the woman he'd admired from afar was still genuine.  She just had secrets.

"Do you need me to stay?"

"Only if you wish to, Miku," Kaito said as he got up again, "Actually, could you check on the others?  I haven't heard them up yet."

 

Miku knocked lightly on the door.  "Rin?  Len?  Gakupo?  Are you awake yet?"

She heard some shifting of footsteps in the room.  "It's okay, you can come in!  Len and I are dressed and Gakupo fell asleep in his clothes anyway!"

Miku pushed open the door to a rather strange sight.  While Len was back in his old butler's uniform again, Rin once more in her plain white dress, the rather tall doctor still lay sprawled out along one of the beds, Len poking at him with his hand.  "Is he _dead?_ I mean he can't be, he's still drooling…"

"Oh, let him sleep!  Besides, when he's like this, even an earthquake won't move him!  But if we need to get him up, feel free to punch him or something."

Len jerked his head back.  "What?!  Is that safe?"

Rin laughed at him.  "Oh, he can take the abuse!  He needs a good jolt of pain when it's really important anyway!"

"Is everything okay in there you crazy kids?"

Miku turned back as Meiko and Kaito walked through the halls.  "Oh, everything's fine!  Gakupo's just in nap mode. Do we need to leave yet?"

Meiko crossed her arms along her chest.  "We should soon, we _are_ on the lam and all.  But Kaito and I are going to talk over next steps.  You guys make your plans while we're waiting.  Oh, and try the jellied toast!  It's wonderful!"

"Mmmm… jellied mountain goats…" Gakupo murmured, interrupted by a loud snore.

"Rin, are you sure this guy knows what he's doing!?"

Rin approached Miku and folded her hands along her skirt.  "Miku, now that we're not running for our lives, I've really wanted to talk to you!  Why don't we grab some of that jellied toast and have some breakfast outside?"

'What does she want to talk to _me_ about?'

"I… I suppose there's no problem with that," Miku said nervously as she heard the door close behind Kaito and Meiko.  She shot Len a look.

"Len, keep an eye on that door.  Just in case."

Len straightened his ribbon confidently.  "No need to ask.  Why don't you and Rin make sure to eat in sight of their window too?"

 

The morning sun made the cold morning somewhat more bearable than the last night for Miku as she and the young nurse sat at a small outdoor table with a small plate of toast and bowls of jelly.  She kept an eye on the window where she could barely make out Meiko before the brunette disappeared.  Kaito briefly walked past, but his calm demeanor assured her he was okay.  Then why didn't she _feel_ like he was safe?

Would she ever be free of the paranoia?

"Where did you and Prince Kaito get off to last night anyway?" Rin asked, startling her.

"Does everyone know?!"

Rin took a bite out of her toast, dripping with orange jelly.  As she swallowed, Miku saw her expression soften.  "Just me… well, probably Meiko too, I heard her up.  She was probably making sure you two weren't running away."

She nibbled on her slice of bread thoughtfully.  "Old habits are hard to break – I like to keep an eye on everyone near me.  And unlike _someone_ , I'm a light sleeper."

'Right.  Rin was a Cinderella.'

The thought of their shared experience seemed to be chasing away Miku's appetite, as she only took a very tiny bite out of her own mint-jellied toast.  She wouldn't be able to conceal anything from Rin, was that why she wanted to speak to her?

"Kaito and I took a walk to the pond and skipped stones until we'd calmed down enough to sleep."

Rin was already spreading jam along another slice of toast.  "I can imagine after the last day alone… honestly, Gakupo and I were worrying about both of you ever since we first met you."

Miku barely managed another bite of toast as she braced herself for the intrusion that she was expecting…

"How many kills did you have?'

"None."

Rin nearly dropped her knife in surprise.  "But… you're older than me, right?  They never sent you out on missions before?"

"No."

Miku tried to focus on the window again, not wishing to talk about such terrible matters.  "So… you managed to run away without getting your hands dirty.  You're braver than I thought."

The tone in Rin's voice drew Miku away from the window.  She recognized the guilty pangs in the girl's voice.  "I'm not brave.  I didn't… I didn't even know until the last tolls of the bells whether I would save him or let fate continue forward unchanged."

"Fate… that's how they taught us to look at everything… that we had no say in what we did…"

She was right… Miku's concept of fate had been so heavily influenced by the Godmothers.  "It didn't matter how I felt about Kaito, all I was supposed to focus on was his death.  Whenever I hesitated… in that sea of white masks, I didn't know who was a friend or a foe.  I was so terrified that he'd die regardless of what I did…"

Even as she'd stolen back into the garden in the wake of the Emerald Dawn's attack to retrieve Kaito's unconscious body, she'd feared that somewhere in the roses her handler or another Cinderella would leap out and kill her. 

"The night I messed up my assassination, I almost didn't want to survive… if I went back to the Godmothers like that, they might have just killed me outright.  When Gakupo took me in, I kept expecting Luka to sneak in and stab us both for my insolence.  It took… months… before I started to think my plan had succeeded…"

Miku had expected an interrogation, but with Rin confessing such fears to her, she realized there was something deeper.

Neither woman had ever met someone that had suffered their experience.  Rin rubbed her bandaged thigh as she finished eating her toast.  "Rin… does it ever get easier?"

"Being free?"

She dumped the crumbs from her plate into the grass.  "It wasn't simple.  At first I had my life, but I was still so indoctrinated I didn't even feel anything.  It wasn't like I'd had some grand revelation that made me change my ways, I'd almost _died_."

"Gakupo… he gets an idea in his head, he just won't let go.  He was certain that I wasn't just sick in body but in spirit… and it was like one day I felt everything all at once and I couldn't stop crying…"

The blonde girl walked away from the bench, starting to trace her toes in the dirt as tried not to face Miku.  "Then I couldn't escape the guilt.  People were dead because of _me_.  I wished he'd never saved me!  I wished I'd died to make up for them.  So he put a uniform on me and told me I could be a nurse.  I could save life.  I could make up for it.  So… I did that.  I just focused on being a nurse.  One step at a time."

Miku twisted the bread around in her hands.  "So you started to get better because you focused on Gakupo?"

Rin's head shook in denial.  "I thought that for a while, that I was just fighting for him.  But I finally realized I wasn't just living for him anymore.  I was scared of ever seeing my family again and telling them what I did, but… I wanted to see my twin's face again.  I wanted to see my parents.  I wanted to take back the things that were stolen from me… I kept trying to speed things up.  Planning with Gakupo, saving money.  So when I was ready, I'd be able to _run_ after him.  Like running up the stairs three steps at a time!"

"Then you focused on Len."

It sounded so strange to be so dependent on people like this.  What if they weakened or broke?  What if they weren't strong enough?  What if they hated her?

Why couldn't she be strong enough to exist on her own?

'Why can't I?'

"I just kept changing my focus, that's all!  I started to see the ways that I was still 'chained' even though I was free.  To my past, to my guilt, to my fear… they'd bound me in so many ways.  So I decided if they wanted to keep Len from me, finding him would break another chain."

Rin raised her hands to her face and wiped something away before turning back to Miku and… smiling?  "I didn't expect to find him like this, but do you know how wonderful it feels?  I took something back, for me!"

Miku rested back on the bench, looking up into Meiko's window, seeing the back of Kaito.  "I have nothing to take back," she said somberly, "It was well and good for you to have your brother, but I don't have a family waiting for me.  They were glad to be rid of me."

"I see…"

Rin looked up at the clouds in thought.  "… look, one step at a time first.  Don't beat yourself up over using whatever you have to stay sane.  If the Prince is what you used to free yourself, then… don't be afraid to lean on him when you need him."

'One step.'

So slow.

Rin returned to the bench.  "If you have any questions, I'm here too… I'll understand all of it.  I promise."

'A promise…'

"Maybe today that can be your step… trusting me.  If you want."

'Trust.'

Miku's stomach suddenly felt so empty.  She devoured her toast with renewed vigor, grateful for the sharp, cool taste of mint.

_"When I touched your wound, you were shaking slightly, not knowing where to go, you were looking at the distant sky…"_

Rin was singing a familiar song.  Miku was certain she'd heard it on the radio before, sung by a pair of twin sisters from Nordland.  She remembered the next verse.  _" It's not like I want the answer to the pain in my heart, as long as you're here I just need to fulfill my promise…"_

At hearing Miku's nervous voice, Rin clapped her hands eagerly.  " _A dry wind is flicking over the pages of a fairy tale! "I'm not alone," I feel that I could be stronger, just with those words…"_ Miku continued.

_"I spread my injured wings and attempt to fly again, if this voice goes through to you, then I don't have to be afraid of anything!"_

Miku was starting to understand why Kaito felt so much closer to Meiko after just sharing a song with her.

One step.

 

_"The motionless feelings will go with the tomorrow we'll spend together! There is a thing that blocks that light, I will flick it away!"_

Gakupo let out a loud yawn as he faintly heard the sounds of two people singing outside his open window.  "Ah… is that Rin?  And… someone else…"

He stepped out of bed, wandering over to the sill and leaning on it.  The other girl was… Miku?

'Ah!  The same frightened little Cinderella has a song in her heart!'

The doctor beamed happily as he saw the two girls outside sharing the song by the two blonde, green-eyed twins from Nordland.  'Anon and Kanon… I wonder if they ever thought their song would go this far?'

_"The breaking world is now starting to show the meaning of "echo"… I make an oath in my heart to protect you, forever..."_

The sight of Miku's shell breaking, of Rin filled with life and heart…

… made Gakupo vow to fix every single Cinderella no matter how hard it would be.

'They don't need Prince Charmings to be happy.  They only need their own strength.  If only I can show it to them.'

For a moment he imagined the blue eyes of the assassin.  The genuine sadness as she treated the injured with tender care.  If he could only find a way to get that compassion to come out elsewhere, maybe he could save her too.

"Oh finally, you woke up!"

The doctor turned his attention to Rin's mirror twin.  "As a medical professional, I believe proper sleep is paramount!" he said.

"Are Miku and Rin still out there?  Kaito wants me to round everyone up." Len cricked his head towards the open window.

Gakupo sighed.  "Such a shame to interrupt a touching performance though…"

Gakupo beckoned to the window and Len approached.  His eyes widened as he took in the sight.  "They're… singing… and Miku's actually smiling…"

The boy listened for several minutes.  "Take heart.  Rin was once like Miss Miku, but you see how far she's come.  The dreaded shadow of the Godmothers can be cast off.  Every one of these women is capable of freeing herself… if only we give them our support when they need it."

Len smirked.  "And here I thought you were simple… you can be pretty deep when you want to be."

Gakupo winced.  "I see that sharp tongue runs in Rin's family!"

_"The breaking world is now starting to show the meaning of "echo"… I make an oath in my heart to protect you, forever..."_

 

Dex practically sprinted out of the car, rushing up the stairs of the castle.  Three steps at a time, in his haste, causing many stares.  But he cared not how wild he looked.  He had to deliver this news in person.  He needed orders!

His dashing ended as he found the familiar guard surrounding the audience chamber.  The white uniformed honor guards pulled out their pistols and Dex came to a stop.  "Stop!  You can't just walk in here whenever you want!"

"Idiots!" Dex growled, "I have an important message for them!  Where are they?!"

The guard didn't seem to like Dex's tone.  "We'll deliver it, then let _her_ decide whether to meet with you."

The white-haired youth stomped his foot in impatience but acquiesced.  'He'll be sorry when she hears this one.'

"Just tell her… that I have the location of their 'precious jewel.'"

Of course the meaning of the words went over the guard's heads, but Dex knew they'd mean something to the right person.  He was never close to Kaito, but he'd never forget the look on the Prince's face whenever he was called by the nickname…

Sure enough, the guard came out a few shades paler.  "His and Her Royal Majesties will see you at once."

The guards parted to allow Dex inside the tiny chamber.  He heard the door crash behind him, leaving only himself and the two people he was here to meet.

The King and Queen of Estmarch.

The King bore a stern face, worn with age and fierce as befitting a conqueror.  Though his hair showed tinges of white, it was still largely dominated by the deep shade of black of his tightly-trimmed hair and long tight mustache.  These days he rarely appeared without his white military uniform and numerous medals, always a symbol of the military strength still loyal to House Shion.

The Queen sat by his side, her blonde hair pulled into one great long braid that snaked around her shoulders.  Where her husband was stern, she wore a polite smile… one that hid a brilliant tactical mind.  Where the King could be known for being bombastic, the Queen was cool and calm as she dissected those she found wanting.  Her deep blue gown showed that even in this temporary exile, she refused to hide her status.

"Dex, last son of House Grauwolf.  You sent word about my 'precious jewel.'  I hope you have a good explanation for delivering this in person and abandoning your missions in the Rhune Valley."

He knew not to waste her time.  His father may have had a great station, but his father had died in the capital and now all of his house's fortunes rested on him.  "I would not interrupt my operations in the Rhune on a mere whim.  But I met Prince Kaito in the flesh in Zweissen.  His face, his eyes, his voice… the stories he told me to prove his identity… it could be no other man.  Somehow, your son did _not_ die in the attack."

He expected to see some kind of joy or relief from the royal parents.  For all their terror rested upon others, Dex had been downright envious of the love they showered upon their pampered, sheltered son.  But they gave no such reaction.  Perhaps they simply didn't wish for _him_ to see it.

"How many others know?" the King asked.

"Your son came out of hiding to save a few common lives yesterday afternoon, so everyone in the Rust District knows that someone claiming to be him is out there."

The old castle possessed no telephone service and was far too remote to receive radio signals.  Hence it was no surprise the King and Queen had not been updated on this movement yet.

"He just broke out of prison in Zweissen.  I have a hunch I know where he is, but I don't dare approach him alone, without your orders."

The King looked to his wife a moment, and she waved her hand in assent.  "Do _not_ tell anyone what your true mission is.  Say you are locating a person of interest.  Then bring him into custody."

"Custody?"

What were they on about?

"Dex.  He may have been a _very_ strong imposter," the King continued, "We cannot risk the idea of people possibly following a false Prince.  When he's brought to our stronghold here, we can confirm for ourselves if he is our son."

There was a certain logic to it, if cold.  "At once, your majesty.  What should we do with his companions?'

"Companions?"

The Queen looked intrigued.  "I don't know how many people he's working with, but he mostly certainly had a blond boy with him.  And I spotted him running off with a girl with green pigtails…"

At the mention of the girl's description, the Queen's smile tightened.  She turned to her husband and whispered lightly in his ear, too quietly for Dex to hear anything beyond one word.  The King projected power and authority with his final order.

"Dex.  If they put up a fight, execute them on sight and take the man claiming to be the Prince.  Otherwise, take them into custody as well."

He raised his fist along his chest.  "At once.  To Estmarch!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WELL!  It only took EIGHT chapters but Miku and Kaito *finally* sang.      
>   
> So while editing this chapter, I caught a mistake in the passage of time.  Only about three weeks have passed in the story.  I actually doubled back and counted again.  I had been operating under the memory of the story starting in October.  But I double checked and Chapter 1 declared starting in September, while Chapter 6 mentions it being November.  So I've had to pull a dreaded edit an older chapter to correct the setting, and I made the call to change Chapter 1 to list "October" and not "September".  Yep, even when I plan the world to this level of detail, I can do something like make a dating mistake.  I've already gone to the various sights and corrected this… so… for new readers you won't actually see my mistake, heh.  You'll just know it happened.
> 
> You know, when I invented the destruction of Luka's hometown, I thought I was inventing an atrocity from my own imagination… only to learn while doing some research that what I described literally happened in WWI by occupying Germans trying to get some of their conquered territories under control.
> 
> Sometimes this is a hard story to write.  I pushed ahead with it because some of the themes are relevant to me – it's got a romance at the core with Kaito and Miku, but it's so much more than the two of them.  Being a realistic story with no magic, it's a bit frightening that my mind is able to conjur up wretched atrocities that I thought were beyond human abilities, only to learn that such evil is real and actually happened.
> 
> You know what else is hard?  Realizing I only have a vague chapter count in my head (somewhere between Nutcracker and Broken Wings length) and knowing there's only so many lyrics I can borrow from Cendrillon for the chapter titles.
> 
> Music Credits: Did you guys miss me having enough songs to give them their own section?!  Obviously I gave out Kaito and Meiko's songs by name – "[Flowers Falling in Ruins](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XIQANrPQQ8)" and "[Poem Weaved in Ruins](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0hlLlRmZic)" are both songs by prolific producer Hinayukki (aka Shigotoshite-P) who is best known for the iconic Kaito and Meiko duet "Tsugai Kogarashi" as well as being a strong Meiko and Kaito producer.  I've wanted to include "Flowers" before, but I kept holding back because I knew that it's deliberately meant to be paired with "Poem" and if you listen to them back to back you pick up on the melodic and lyrical similarities.  So I finally had a chance here!  The final song is "[Promise](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nn7aQYyKsQM)", a Miku and Rin duet by the late samfree.    
> I wanted to put one of his songs in this story somewhere because he was such a great producer and I'm still so sad that he's gone
> 
>  


	9. Smiling Masks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaito has always had faith in the people that raised him, even as they trapped him within a gilded illusory world. But truth after horrible truth has nearly shattered his bars... until he is forced to make a decision about fate.

 

_Kaito eagerly tugged the covers over him and rested his head on his pillow.  His mother would refuse to read the story to him if he wasn't perfectly obedient, after all!  His tiny body barely took up the massive bed, but that meant all the more room for the two of them to sit, nestled side by side as the Queen held the large book in her lap.  "Are you ready, my shining jewel?"_

_"Of course, mother!"_

_"Once upon a time, there was a girl whose mother died.  Before her death, her mother took her precious daughter to her side and told her…”_

_How his mother loved this story.  The sad existence of Cinderella, faithful and good but trapped in a tortuous existence._

_“But when the Prince saw her beautiful clothes, he was so enchanted that he saw nothing else but her.  They danced for hours until the clock tolled the midnight hour… Cinderella rushed down the stairs, fleeing the prince as he called her name and leaving nothing more behind than a glass slipper…”_

_“Mother, why did Cinderella run?  The prince already loved her!”_

_The Queen chuckled gently at Kaito’s innocence.  “No doubt she was embarrassed of him seeing her in rags and soot.  It's not proper attire!”_

_And so as his mother continued to read, Kaito continued to ponder the strange choice.  Why would Cinderella be embarrassed?  If he declared his love for her, it shouldn't matter how she was dressed!_

_But his love would not be stopped.  The Prince would find his mysterious maid by the token she left behind.  He would spirit her away from pain and want.  The Prince would save Cinderella from the terrible people…_

_“And they lived happily ever after.”_

_His mother sighed as she closed the book.  “Some day it will be you who has such power, Kaito.  I trust you to use it justly.”_

_His mother stroked his bangs with her hands and kissed him softly along his cheek.  “My shining jewel.”_

_Kaito snuggled under the bed sheets, dreaming of the day he would save his Cinderella…_

 

As the endless empty scenery rolled by the car window, Kaito found his exhilaration at the idea of car trips through the country fading, replaced with frustrating boredom.  It never seemed like they made much in the way of progress – the civil war engulfing Estmarch was cutting off more of their ideal routes out of the country.  And there were so few roads.  They'd lost precious time turning back when conflict blocked yet another path.

But now they had a town they thought they might make it through – and he prayed they would have some shelter for the evening.

All he could do was try and make sense of the intelligence he had from Meiko and move forward.  From what the two of them had pieced together, resistance within the country to his family's regime was a combination of separatist organizations in their conquered lands and Estmarchian citizens fed up with the low standard of living outside of the aristocracy.  Capable of doing tremendous damage, but not organized enough to gain traction.

Easily put down.

Until the Emerald Dawn.

Meiko and Gumi had gathered intelligence from their mission indicating that the Dawn had started out sweeping through the discontent.  Pulling off members left and right under their banners.  The attacks became far more strategic, cropping up where the Fairy Godmothers would conveniently leave power vacuums in the wake of their targeted assassinations.

And yet... as Kaito looked things over, something kept bothering him.  If his parents were as ruthless and strategic as they appeared to be, their response to the Dawn was surprisingly muted aside from the regular ground assaults by the loyalists.  As he'd told Meiko, his nation had leapt ahead in the development of aerial combat technology.  They had a growing air force.  War planes.

The zeppelins.

And Meiko had discovered something on her own – the existence of a new weapon, only labelled as "Faerie Dust."  She hasn't learned _what_ it was, and that alone made Kaito nervous given what he knew they were capable of after what Luka had told him… but that weapon had yet to be deployed.  Why would they not make use of it as soon as the capital fell?  Why weren't the Loyalists using it _everywhere_?

'Were they trying to stop the Dawn from interfering with their plans in the north?'

The most vital information the spies had gathered indicated that the army was far more concentrated around the Nordish Channel.  They had yet to gather precise positions, but even the growing air force seemed to be preparing for another Rose War.  There was little effort to turn that force inward and stave off civil war.

He'd suggested maybe they underestimated the Dawn – after all, Miku had easily slipped into the castle with the mission of killing Estmarch's only heir.

But even as he said it, that felt off.  He was missing something vital.

The most important element to come out of the strategy meeting was a plan.  As expected, Meiko at first wanted to convince him to go with her to Nordland.  She could try and get him passage across the channel by boat and allow him diplomatic immunity with their King.

He understood her perspective, but he didn't entirely trust the current King in Nordland either.  Not enough to expect to leave safely and rule his own kingdom.

Fortunately, the deployment of the military gave him a more diplomatic excuse.  Kaito argued that the only safe path out of Estmarch now was to continue their journey to Westheim.  The nation's much cherished neutrality meant that fighting in Estmarch would likely stay out of its borders.  While their nascent air force wouldn't necessarily beat back Estmarch's, the Alpine mountains along the border would make any air and land assaults difficult.  Kaito thus argued from the perspective that routes into Westheim were far more secure for all parties involved.

That left one final problem – the passage into Westheim would take them through conquered Sudland.  The Confedere had yet to join with the Emerald Dawn.  They wouldn't be expecting to find a dead Prince, so he had that going for him, but he hardly expected them to be friendly to the son of their oppressors either.

"Hmph, I wonder if we'll run past any nice patisseries in old Sudland!  Even with the rationing going on, I'd love for some nice macarons to keep my spirits up!"

Gakupo's eternal optimism on the road trip was one of the few things propping up Kaito's car.  He sat in the back with Miku, while Meiko stayed up front occasionally barking out directions.  She'd never personally visited Estmarch or Sudland before, but she'd dutifully studied major roads and cities ahead of time should her clandestine operations require it.

'I hope Gumi is holding up okay in the truck…' Kaito thought, 'She didn't seem happy being separated from Meiko.'

"Hmph, I haven't had a nice shepherd's pie in weeks," Meiko moped, "Just to warm me up in the cold, that's all!"

"You miss the ice cream, don't you Kaito?"

Kaito looked strangely at Miku.  Was she teasing him again?  Ever since she'd started to bond with Rin, it seemed to him that she was showing more facets of her persona.  "I mean… well, we all miss nice things, don't me?" he said, laughing nervously, "But… ah, even in winter I certainly enjoyed a nice cup of strawberry ice cream."

Meiko laughed in the front seat.  "You're full of surprises, Your Highness!"

Kaito remembered the last time he'd had ice cream was the ball.  "Maybe we'll find some in Sudland… I don't suppose any of you have had the pleasure of visiting?"

"I haven't seen much of Estmarch because of…" Miku's voice trailed off, "Well, in any case, this will be my first visit."

"I was pretty young when the war happened," Meiko explained, "Believe it or not, my parents were just simple millers.  So travelling across the channel would have been well beyond our means!  And by the time my career took off, it wasn't easy to come out here even for my job."

Gakupo let out an uncomfortable grunt.  "Well, it sounds like it will be a new journey for all of us!  We can't exactly sightsee with a war on, but at least we'll be broadening our horizons!  Won't that be exciting!"

'Gakupo got awfully quiet,' Kaito thought in regard to the normally talkative doctor, 'Well, it wouldn't be right to pry.  Sudland isn't easy for any of us.'

It would be strange travelling through the former country his parents conquered as simply a refugee.

 

Luka rode in the gilded coach as she clutched her rags close to her.  When it pulled up to the glamorous palace, she stepped out and the dirty brown wraps became a glittering white gown.  She leapt up the steps in excitement, as the blue haired prince reached out his hand for her, a seraph welcoming an orphan into his wings.

The two of them began to dance along the floor, surrounded by masks of white, as Luka carefully counted down the time.  All the while the naïve prince showered her with kindness unlike that she'd ever experienced.  For a moment, she found herself conflicted – she had wanted a tyrant to slay, but he was trying to gain access to her heart.

She felt another hand along hers, pulling her into another dance.  The purple haired doctor, dressed identically as the prince, as he told her of her worth, he mourned for her sorrows, he gained cheer from her every word.  "You can choose.  You have the strength."

But then she heard the whisper in her ear from the girl in the cat's mask.  "Take your blade and snatch everything from him."

And so she tore away and back to the hapless prince.  When the bells began to chime, she easily reached for the knife within her close… and at the final bell, thrust her final farewell into his heart.

The prince collapsed almost instantly from his fatal wound.  She turned to the King and Queen with a look of cold retribution.  "In vengeance for stealing everything from me, I have destroyed that which you love above all else!"

Even with the white masks over their eyes, Luka expected to see the horror and terror at the death of their precious son as his warm blood dripped from her hands.  But when they reacted, it was not with sorrow or fear.  But amusement.

"Thank you, Cinderella, for your service."

It was not the King or Queen that screamed but the ash maiden herself as the realization sunk in…

  
Luka snapped awake in the front seat of her car.  The sun shone through the windows, alerting her to the morning hour.  She pulled out her watch and was reassured by the time.

She hadn't wanted to sleep outside of town, but if she was a wanted woman… she had no choice.  The towns along these rural roads were small – and they would make her easier to trace.  Fortunately for her, that made her quarry easier to trace as well.  The Prince was foolishly travelling in a distinctly large group.  They'd passed into Katzhagen in the aftermath of the escape, then departed early the next morning.

… the doctor was with them.  He couldn't seem to keep his nose out of matters far above him.

Through her more thorough investigations, she'd worked out which city they'd likely approach next – a small town named Jangenschatz.  Routes anywhere else were blocked thanks to the conflicts breaking out in Estmarch – and more importantly, Jangenschatz was the best route into the Zellen Sea.

The Shion Royals had built a vacation home out there, but she also knew it served as a strategic fortification to hold off any potential outbreaks of violence in Sudland.

If the Royals had retreated, they would be going _there_.

And no doubt their wayward son would find them.

She only had to wait in Jangenschatz.

"And then I'll…"

She imagined killing him and finally bringing the whole business to an end.  Maybe then the Godmothers would take her back.  Even if they didn't, it mattered not.  The Prince's death would let her finally let it past.

_"If that makes us foes in the future, so be it."_

"You don't understand, do you?" she whispered, "You and I were born enemies.  It was fate.  Neither of us is strong enough to change fate."

She switched on the ignition for the car and began to pull back out onto the road.  She held her approach out as she noticed a large group of cars passing.  They too headed for Jangenschatz.

Something about the shape of the motorcade made her wait.  She tried to make out who was inside, but from the distance the best she could see was a man with gray hair in the middle car.  Most of the rest wore some kind of uniforms.

'Loyalists?  Hmph… better wait them out… they'll notice a car in pursuit, and I'm not going to fight that many of them.'

The important thing?  The Prince was not among their number.

If they were seeking him, they'd clearly not found him.

_"Ah!  Surely we won't be enemies again after this!"_

"… only so long as you stand out of my way, doctor."

 

Even with the cold temperatures, Miku appreciated the feeling of sun on her face as she sat in the grass holding her sandwich.  She was sitting at some distance from her allies – close enough to react, but just separate enough to keep her thoughts to herself.  
  
The two cars had pulled off the road for a much needed rest.  The fall leaves scattered across the ground were surprisingly soft.  She stared up into the sky wondering when the first snowfall would hit.  'Hopefully not soon… our current route is to try and stay out of the mountains.  It's too dangerous to try and travel them with November snows so close…'

That would naturally mean the path of Estmarchian refugees would start bottlenecking if they were trying to get to Westheim as well…

'No… I can't focus on that… I can only focus on what I can change right now.'

"So, you never told me what's in a shepherd's pie!  Is it hay in a crust?"

"You _cannot_ be that thick-headed!"

"Gakupo, I think it's some kind of meat actually…"

"Eh?  How does that work?  They don't cook the shepherds do they?"

Miku heard Meiko spluttering in surprise before Gakupo burst out laughing.  His laughter was infectious, sneaking into everyone else around him.  Somewhere Miku found enough of a spark to start laughing herself at the man's clowning.  
  
She gasped when the sound of a flash bulb went off.  Angrily, she turned to see Gumi with her camera pointed right at her, staring through the lens.  "W-w-what do you want?!  Are you documenting my every move?!"

Gumi pulled the camera away from her face, seemingly confused at Miku's anger.  "The color of your hair blends so nicely with the leaves and grass…" she said quietly and unemotionally, "I thought it would just be perfect if you'd smile, but I wasn't sure you ever would, so when you laughed I took the shot…"

Miku blinked in shock as Gumi explained her actions as if they were totally rational.  "Ah!  Gumi!  You really need to ask for permission before you take their photos for _fun_!" Meiko called out.

"You were… just taking a picture?  You weren't spying?"

Gumi put her camera back in her bag.  "If I was spying, you wouldn't have seen me."

Her business done, she crawled back through the leaves to join the others. Miku felt self-conscious – was it really so strange of her to smile of her own volition?

'I guess I'm still not so good at being my own person again…'

She heard rustling in the leaves and felt a hand on her shoulder.  Her first instinct was to throw the hand away as if she were under attack, but she managed to stop herself as she saw the familiar red fingernails.  "Hey, I'm sorry if Gumi upset you…"

Miku pulled her sandwich closer.  "I'm not used to being the center of attention is all…"

Meiko sat down next to her, interrupting Miku's perfectly fine time to herself.  "I try to keep an eye on her.  When she's not working, she's still thinking about photos – she wants to capture the most perfect moments of beauty, you know?  But she's not good about telling people that…"

Miku glanced over to the green haired girl and noticed her hovering around with a hand on her camera, waiting for something to happen.  "Is she just bad with people?"

Meiko sighed happily.  "She's good with the few people she truly trusts.  Everyone else, she's all business.  Spy business… hobby business…"

"I understand then… I'm not that great with people either… not yet anyway…"

She finished eating her sandwich.  "If taking photos helps her cope with that… I won't begrudge her it."

"Awww, you're a good egg!  Thanks Miku!"

The singer patted her on the shoulder as she left and Miku just yearned to be back on the road.

Every night her dreams remained the same, evoking the nightmare of killing him while the sea of smiling masks watched in delight.  She kept trying to use Rin's advice to banish her guilt, but the dreams followed her at every turn, their every detail mocking her dedication.

She sat by herself in the grass as she waited for the others to finish, her eyes scanning the area for any kind of disturbances.  What if they were followed?  What if there were Dawn troops moving around?  What if… What if…

"Ah… you don't mind if I sit here, do you?  Unless you really wanted to be alone."

Kaito.

"Of course not."

Maybe her outburst had drawn his attention, but it was impossible for Miku to ignore that he was growing more attached to her.  That her presence seemed to steady him.  That his presence could steady her even as she constantly worried over him.  She looked out at the scenery and recalled a snatch of conversation from the first time they'd met.  "Kaito, I recall how you confessed you've never seen the ocean… not even the Zellen Sea where your family's home is…"

"No… I haven't," he laughed.

Miku extended her arm out over the hills in the distance.  "That way.  It's beyond those hills.  We can't smell the ocean right now, but we're just a few hours from it."

Kaito's eyes widened.  "Right there!?  Already!?"

He stared out at the hills as if trying to will the waves to come crashing over them.  "I've seen photos of the manor, but I've never seen water like that…" he murmured, "Miku, what was it like?"

She tried her hardest to recall one of her buried memories, summoning up a dream of her skittering along the sand and trying to gather shells.  "Water as far as you can see… a salty spray… when you run along the wet sand, your footprints fade with the incoming tide…"

She thought it might hurt to remember this far back, when she still had happy times in her life but remembering it stirred something else up in her heart, a warmth long buried as she remembered splashing in the waves with her father and the joy even that incomplete memory brought her…

"We should go, you and I.  Not now, not during the war… but when it's over.  To see the ocean."

She turned to Kaito and her smile came so easily for him.  "I'll protect you from the pincher crabs that nip at the toes of careless princes."

Kaito laughed in embarrassment.  "No no, I should be protecting you, remember!  Prince Charming should be able to handle a couple of angry crabs!"

"I don't suppose Prince Charming knows how to swim?" Miku teased.

"Ah… no…" he stammered.

"It's fine, I'll teach you.  When we go."

One more thing for Miku to fight for… not just a person, but an experience. 

One more step.

The camera clicked and Miku almost jumped again as she whipped her head to see Gumi already standing close by, her face behind the lens.

"Were we really that interesting?" Kaito said nervously.

The girl moved the camera away.  "The mountains framed the two of you so that the light highlighted your expressions.  The sorrow and hope, captured in your smile… I hope I have enough chemicals left to develop this set in color…"

The photographer kept mumbling to herself as she wandered away again.

 

_"Behold, my son.  The first Zeppelin in service to Estmarch!  The Fantasie!"_

_Kaito marveled as he watched the massive rigid airship plodding through the sky.  "How many people could it possibly carry, Father?!" he asked in delight._

_"90 people… it's engine is so powerful it could pass over the oceans, even to the shores of the Union of Columbia!"_

_The idea of flying through the clouds, so far from his home, excited the young prince.  "Father, father, when shall we take the first flight?!"_

_He saw his father's enthusiasm fade.  "Kaito… while the Fantasie is a great technological marvel… I cannot take the risk of you coming to harm in it."_

_The young teen furrowed his brow.  "I'm not asking to fly it myself… I merely wish to see the clouds."_

_"My dear son… there are dangerous men in the world that seek to kill you at all turns.  Within these walls, you'll always be safe.  The clouds can wait until your enemies lay dead."_

_Kaito felt an uncharacteristic anger rising up in his heart.  "You… you always say that!" he shouted, "I'm not a fragile doll, I'm the Prince of Estmarch!  I have as much right to see this land as you do!"_

_He had **never** raised his voice at his father, and from the stunned look on the King's face, it was doubtful anyone had ever yelled at him so.  But then his shock turned to sorrow, and Kaito at once felt guilty for losing control of his anger.  "Of course you have the right.  But Kaito.  Allow me this selfishness.  You are the most precious person in the world to me.  As I try to guide Estmarch onto the path of righteousness, I worry constantly over your safety. Think of how it would break a father's heart to lose that which he loves most."_

_Kaito tried to steady his emotions.  He was certain of his father's love.  The King never spoke to another the way he spoke to him.  As upsetting as his decisions were… they were not meant to be cruel._

_"Now Kaito… I may not be able to allow you a ride, but if you'd like, I can have them land the ship in the training grounds so you might inspect it up close.  Would that please you?"_

_Kaito's curiosity got the better of him.  "Of course it would, Father!"_

Miku sifted through her bag as it rested on the hotel bed, only verifying what supplies she would need for the immediate day.  Lest they have to run in a hurry yet again.  She pressed her fingers around the familiar wrapped object and felt a momentary sense of calm.  'It's still in one piece.'

"Miku… we're within a day's drive of Westheim… and there's something I must ask of you."

Miku clutched the precious object tightly in her fingers.  "Yes Kaito?"

"When we made this arrangement… you promised you would leave as soon as we arrived."

The worry in his voice was unmistakable, and the reminder of that promise drew back her fear from the moment she'd pledged it.  In that moment, all she'd cared about was that Kaito survived.  It was _vital_ that he live, her heart needed that.  Even if it meant he would turn her away when it was passed…

"But Miku, where will you go when this is over with?  You have no family to return to, no other professions… everyone else among us has something they can start over with."

She released her grasp on the item and zipped up her bag.  "It's not really something you need worry about, Kaito.  When you're in Westheim, I'll have finished my task."

But today Kaito was being insistent.  "Miku, you are not something I can just throw away and discard," he pressed, "You've become more than a soldier, you've become a friend.  I… I only wished to suggest that you may stay with me and my uncle in his manor house until you've found your next path."

Next path.  Miku was only moving one step forward every day, as if she could plan that far out. 

But this seemed to be something that was particularly upsetting to Kaito, so she could at least ease his worry.  "If your Uncle is fine with someone like me staying, I will accept."

Indeed, Kaito looked relieved to have this past.  "I promise you, my Uncle is very accommodating.  He won't treat you as… _they_ … would have."

'They.'  The way his tongue seemed to twist as he spoke of his parents, Miku knew how heavily they weighed upon his heart.  "Kaito, is there something else bothering you?"

Indeed, the Prince had barely managed to go through any of his possessions.  "Something else Luka said to me in the prison… it's been bothering me.  She told me to be wary of those in white masks, that those people are my enemies."

As he described the white masks, Miku felt a flash of fear as her recurring nightmares popped out again, of being jeered at by the ghoulish figures who watched her destroy her prince.

"I know you've told me everything about the assassination, but if that has any meaning to you, it may help us both."

She tried to banish the imagery and recall the evening of the attack one more wretched time.  "When I was given my orders, I was told that the people in white masks were involved.  Tonio wore one of course.  I wouldn't have known who the others were wearing them, but what I did know was that they would be watching me to make sure that I… that I…"

She swallowed.  "To ensure the task was completed satisfactorily."

As she turned to Kaito, the information seemed to similarly disturb him.  "Did you remember something?"

His face seemed a shade paler.  "I… no, it's a trivial detail.  I'm sorry to bother you with it."

'He's been so fixated on his parents… I still don't know how to help him.  Kaito, I want to ease your pain…'

 

_Kaito's fingers deftly maneuvered through the complex piece on the piano.  The main melody was meant to mimic the sound of raindrops falling in a summer shower.  He performed without a singer, but in his mind he could recall the voice of his piano tutor, steadying his playing as he envisioned the phantom performer._

_As he completed the melody, he looked expectantly to his parents.  They clapped politely for his performance.  "Your music tutor has truly cultivated your talent," his mother said warmly, "I hear you've taken to playing whenever you're bored."_

_Which these days was often, not that he would be rude enough to express that so bluntly to his parents._

_"Do you think it's good enough to perform in public?  Perhaps a recital in the Vedunia Concert hall?  Surely that building should be easy enough to secure from radical elements."_

_His parents looked to each other and began to whisper quietly, Kaito straining to hear even a single word shared between the two of them.  Finally they looked back and he held his breath in anticipation._

_"Kaito, your mother has reminded me that the Vedunia Concert Hall in particular has been targeted by radical elements," his father intoned calmly._

_"Then… what about a smaller one?!" Kaito protested._

_"My shining jewel."_

_Kaito shuddered.  He knew what was coming next when his mother used that phrase._

_"Our beloved Prince performing a recital would no doubt fill the people of Estmarch with confidence and beauty.  Which is why your recital would be targeted at once.   Think of the horror and dread they would suffer if you or anyone inside were to come to harm?"_

_"But… But…"_

_He stopped as he thought through the logic – performing in public like this could risk someone else's life besides his own.  He couldn't ask someone to possibly **die** so he could have a few brief hours of freedom outside of his home…_

_"… you are right, of course.  I was being selfish.  My apologies."_

_So swiftly did another door close in front of the frustrated young man…_

_"In a space a dripped sound echoes, Footstep sounds disappear… I cry out a word, but it also is drowned out in vain… The sound you let me hear that day is no longer here… and broken pieces scatter…"_

"My goodness… your voice sounded just like the drops of rain."

Miku was seated right next to Kaito on the piano bench, mesmerized by his playing.  The young man couldn't help but sing the words for her, and she'd stayed silent the entire time.

"It was so lovely.  You shouldn't have been hidden away like that."

Miku was deliberately being vague given that there were still people in the lobby, but Kaito understood what she meant.  "My parents wanted me to be safe," he said bitterly, "Not just myself but the people around me.  No matter what I asked, no matter how I begged or plotted, they always had a way to defeat my ambitions.  Many times they would tell me how my being in public would risk other's lives… how could I take that chance?"

It felt ridiculous for him to complain about this to Miku given how much more harshly she'd been imprisoned.  "You really _were_ a prisoner…" she whispered.

"Sometimes I wish I could hate them properly.  They've so much evil to their reputation.  But they were… so different for me… even as they caged me, I couldn't stop believing in them…"

"They're your parents.  Of course you love them.  Even as they trapped you, they showered you in love to keep you content.  You never ran away because you feared hurting them.  You… you try to help everyone.  Even me.  Even strangers.  Even… even Luka.  Your heart won't bear being the cause of misery, even to your family."

To hear Miku explain it so succinctly provided a small amount of succor to his conflicted heart.  The white masks would not leave his mind.  But as he looked at Miku he found a strong impulse overtaking him.  Even as Miku would speak of trying to protect him, she never sheltered him pointlessly.  She listened so intently.  She wanted him to be happy and safe, but she wanted him to have his freedom.

She understood having no freedom.

He wanted to protect her too.  To shelter her from the people chasing her, who stole her life from her.  Cinderella, always running.  Cinderella, forgotten in the ashes and dust.  Cinderella, unceasingly waiting for someone to save her but running from the Prince who loved her…

'Do I… love Cinderella?'

With her right on the bench with him, so close… he stared right into her eyes and saw them as he did the night he impulsively declared he loved her… would she…?

"Miku… even with all the pain you've suffered, you always try to salve my wounds… I want to do the same for you.  More than just a place to stay… I…"

When he spoke those words that night, they were the words of a man desperate to feel love.  A man who didn't understand it and easily fell for the illusion of it.  But now as he sat with Miku so close again, he felt something so much stronger and it felt to him that he needed to say just the right words or he'd lose her.  He gingerly slipped his hand over Miku's on the piano bench and…

The news report on the radio report interrupted everything at once.

_"… sighted in the distance!  The Fantasie and a bombing squadron!  We're trying to make contact with another city to determine their trajectory!"_

"The Fantasie… that's Estmarch's first zeppelin… he outfitted it for war?!"

Kaito's first instinct was to bolt outside and search the skies, but Miku clutched at his outstretched hand.  "Stay here.  Please."

After everything Kaito had just confessed to, he was about to snap at being told to stay back again, but relented at the true fear in Miku's eyes.  "I'll find out what I can!  Meiko and Gumi are still trying to find a phone or telegraph out of the country, Rin and Len are gathering intelligence, and Gakupo is getting medical supplies… surely one of them will have the information we need!"

She placed her other hand over his, this time with tenderness.  "Please don't leave here.  Run and hide if you must.  If you die, everything I've given up will have been for nothing."

As she slipped her hand from his, Kaito felt reluctant to leave her but at the same time, he wanted to follow her instructions for now.

He trusted _her_.

 

"Hmph… this isn't as much as I would have liked… but given our monetary situation, it's going to have to do…"

The doctor muttered under his breath as he gathered what little he could still afford from the chemist.  He was trying to plan ahead for an emergency – bullet wounds, Kaito's stitches, enough ether for surgery… he had a few sterile needles left, but some sterilizing antibiotics would contain infection if he needed to perform blood transfusions…

Driving through Jangenschatz earlier had unsettled him.  Another makeshift hospital caring for people injured in yet more violent outbreaks as Estmarch tried to right itself.  The chemist here already was strapped for supplies, and here he was buying them up.  His heart yearned to stay behind and patch as many people up as he could – he _was_ a doctor, and a good one.  But now he'd committed to this wild mission of ferrying a Prince across a warzone.  Saving one life instead of hundreds.

He began to turn when he saw a familiar pair of blue eyes behind a nurses' mask.  Before he could say another word, the woman gripped his wrist and turned him away towards the wall, jabbing the tip of a knife into his back.  "Leia…" he whispered, deciding not to try and wriggle free lest his captor try and maneuver against him.

She leaned closer to his ear and again he heard that familiar Sudlandian song.  "You must stay calm.  You already know what I will ask.  If you are here, then _he_ is too."

Had she stalked him inside the chemist?  Or was she merely smart enough to check the medical establishments first for him?  Gakupo quietly cursed his luck – he wasn’t a spy or an assassin.  He didn't know how to cover his tracks without Rin helping him.

"Where is he?"

'No… I won't give up like this… she's desperate if she's cornering someone as useless as me again.'

"I thought after Fort Kahlgren that we'd ceased to be enemies!  Are you still holding that grudge?"

The knife dug a little deeper and Gakupo bit his lip.  "You and I are not.  The Prince and I are.  It's not my choice, Gakupo.  It's fate that placed us on this path, and it will not end until one of us lies dead.  No matter what either of us wishes, that fate is unchanging."

'Fate… Rin used to talk about it… and… didn't Miku?  She spoke of changing fate before…'

"Was it also your fate to save those children in the Rust District?"

The pressure on his wrist didn't let up – despite him being so much taller than Luka, she'd managed to press right down on his arm to overpower him.  "Was it fate to put you in a nurse's costume in a hospital?  Was it fate to sing them a lullaby?"

The tip of the knife seemed to quiver a moment.  "Luka," Gakupo said, forgoing her false name once and for all, "I am not such a naïve man that I think I can change every person's heart by words.  But I judge you by your deeds.  And as I see it… the cruelest atrocity turned on you was not the past you lost, but the future stolen from you by those with wicked hearts.  Women gathering helpless Cinderellas and luring them to balls of death.  And that is why… you are currently trying to come up with a reason to stab a random doctor to death in a chemist's shop."

"You… just… tell me!"

He was hoping her frustration meant he was making progress.  "Luka… there are now two women connected to you that have chosen to take fate for themselves.  I believe… that is not a coincidence."

"You think me weak?!" she hissed.

"No… I think even as you found yourself chained… you still searched for a way out.  That you've been searching for so long for the way to take your fate for yourself as well.  They succeeded because you wanted them to.  Your fate belongs to you, Luka."

Gakupo found himself tossed into an empty rack, breaking right through it from the force of Luka's anger.  "Shut up!  How dare you talk like that?!  I'll prove your naivety wrong, I promise you!  Someone in this city knows where he is, and I'll destroy him!"

The doctor crawled out of the splintered wood.  "Well… that could have gone better…" he muttered.  He heard the chemist's rapid footsteps.  "Holy hell, was that a damn Loyalist?!  What happened here?!"

Gakupo quickly rose to his feet and grabbed all the money he had, thrusting it into his arms.  "I'll take all of these, and that should pay for that… and… well the shelving too!  Thank you!"

His only thought was catching Luka before she figured out what hotel Kaito was in, but as he stepped outside and saw the panicked crowd watching the sky, he realized he wouldn't easily find her…

 

"Dammit… I'm going into the basement!  You guys are on your own!"

The old man slammed the door behind the desk.  "Hmph… so much for that…" Kaito said, annoyed.

The prince briefly considered sheltering under some of the hotel's furniture as some of the panicked guests were doing, but he changed his mind as he saw a familiar face entering the lobby.

"Dex?"

The grey haired lad turned his yellow eyes to the Prince and he smiled like a hungry wolf.  "You know, given all the trouble you went through to make contact with the Loyalists, you rather made yourself scarce in the aftermath of Zweissen."

"Who's sending the bombers?!  The Dawn or the Loyalists?!"

Dex's rather lax posture seemed to project the answer.  "As if the Dawn could gain the loyalty of the Royal Air Force so easily!  This city is safe from them."

As he approached the bench, Kaito had half a mind to get his concealed weapon out from his coat, but nothing in Dex's manner suggested aggression yet.  The man placed an envelope on the piano.  "Given what I've come to you for, I assume words alone wouldn't convince you.  So I ensured there was a little more evidence backing me up."

Kaito reached for the envelope, tearing open the flap and pulling out a small slip of paper.  His fingers began to shake at the sight of the familiar handwriting on the page.

_My shining jewel._

_We are blessed to learn you yet live.  Please return to us at once that we might set our hearts at ease._

Such a simple letter, worded carefully to shield its true meaning from enemies.  But Kaito knew it at once.

His mother.

"They… they sent you…"

His parents were still alive, just as the rumors stated.  They really were running the Loyalists.

And they wanted him at their side.

"Well of course.  I had to report to them at once when I met you, and there was no mistake to your identity.  They sent me right back out."

Dex observed the frightened guests in the hotel, still not making any impact on him.  "I suppose… they would want me right away, wouldn't they?"

This could still be a trap!  This letter could have been pried out of a woman held hostage… and yet…

"I'll be blunt with you.  They demanded I bring you back, in custody if I must, with you still travel with.  I already told him about that boy you were hanging around with, and the green haired girl…"

'Miku!'

If he brought the woman who'd stabbed him in front of his parents…

"Hrm… what'd they call her again?  Oh… Cinderella.  Does that mean anything to you?"

For a moment Kaito could imagine himself being pulled apart by people in white masks.  The last scraps of faith he still held in his heart torn to shreds.

'No… no this can't… no… they wouldn't…'

A strange resolve settled into his chest.  If he tried to escape, they'd tear the kingdom apart until they had him.  He'd always known his fate would be to stand before his parents and confront the vile truths between them. 

And lest those he cared about be destroyed as well… he would have to face that fate himself.  He would have to break his promise, but he did so only because he loved Miku too much to see her ensnared along with him.

"I regret to inform you that I've parted ways with my companions.  If you'll have me, I'll go alone."

This would hopefully suffice.

Prince Charming had to protect Cinderella.

 

Luka held her gun steady as she kept it trained on his head, balancing herself on a tree branch.  One bullet and she'd have her past dealt with and her future secure.  It was trivial locating his hotel so swiftly.  The group of cars parked out front only made his presence more prominent.  And then her patience paid off as she watched the Prince emerge with a white haired young man.

She squeezed her finger around the trigger.

_"If all you wanted was revenge, why weren't you the one sent to kill me sooner?!"_

'Because this isn't revenge… it is our fate…'

The Prince looked oddly sad – were these people not Loyalists?  Where was he going off to?

"Dex… how did my mother react when you told her?  Did she… did she say anything?"

The white haired man shrugged.  "They were rather calm… I expected more out of them, honestly.  Maybe they just expected you to survive somehow."

_"I was their prisoner."_

'His parents… they've found him…'

In her mind she could still see the last nightmare she had, so different from the burning dreams.  Where she tore her dress in her rage as she thought she'd destroyed that which they loved, only leaving them smiling behind their masks…

Luka had never been told directly who ordered the assassination given to Miku.  But she did have an inkling of the particulars.  That only two people in the castle could have arranged for the young girl to get so far so easily.  Hence her cruel insinuation to the prince that he watch for those masks.  She wanted to plant the seeds of distrust in him that he might suffer.

_"The Godmothers have shown neither I nor Miku any mercy.  I cannot leave you to their whims.  If that makes us foes in the future, so be it.  But I cannot ignore someone unjustly made a prisoner."_

_"Your fate belongs to you, Luka."_

Tears trickled down her face as she lowered the gun, her opportunity passing by.  She saw a pair of women leaving the car as she climbed out, one a pale woman with short blue hair, another with dark skin and long purple hair, both of them wearing long red coats and black stockings.  She remained unsure of her next path until she saw them split up and break into the crowds…

"Cleaning up loose ends, are you?"

 

"Well this is a fine mess we're in!" Len shouted through the din, "Not a word of anything useful and everyone's sure we're going to get bombed to death!"

"We just need to get back to the hotel and get Kaito out of here!" Rin shouted back, "We'll figure out where to go when we have the chance!"

Len tried to keep his sister's hand tight in his own, not wanting to risk being further separated even as the girl hobbled on her crutches.

Suddenly he heard the sound of a cracking whip and Rin grabbed him and shoved him to the road.  "What gives?!" he shouted before he saw a woman with blue hair emerge from the crowd with a whip drawn.  "Len Kagamine," she whispered, "Your life is forfeit."

Rin rolled off of him and held up her crutch like it was a weapon.  Len cringed as he saw a tear in her jacket where the whip had hit his sister. "Only yours is if you so much as touch him!  This is your only warning!"

Len had yet to see Rin fight, but the ferocity she delivered in his defense as the mysterious assailant tried to break through to him gave him no doubt she'd once been a terrifying force for the Godmothers.  Every crack of the whip lead to Rin countering with her crutch, never even taking a strike.  'No, what the hell am I doing?!  I need to fight back too!'

Len drew his pistol and tried to train it on the woman his sister was fighting, but she was moving too fast.  "Rin, I need a clear shot-"

"NO!" she pleaded.

"Mercy will not save either of you!"

'Rin… you don't want anyone else to die?!  But this is war!'

With a sickening sound, the woman's whip finally connected to Rin's arm, wrapping around it and forcing her to drop the crutch.  The woman pulled her forward, wrapping it tightly around her neck.  "Your mercy is meaningless… this is our fate, to die fighting…"

"Len!  Please don't!"

He heard his sister chocking as she struggled to breathe…

'… Rin, I'm sorry.'

Len took careful aim, trying to make sure he wouldn't miss as he pulled the trigger tightly… the gun kicked in his hand as the bullet fire out of the barrel…

The whip relaxed around Rin's neck as the blue haired woman fell to the ground.  Rin collapsed with her as Len's hands shook.  He'd done it.  He'd killed someone.

Rin bent over her foe's body and sobbed.  "I'm sorry… I'm so, so sorry…" she cried, "I couldn't save you…"

Len never wanted to imagine he'd kill someone, no matter how dark he'd become in the past.  But he couldn't let Rin die… and he didn't want her to be responsible for a death after she'd fought so long to be free of her life as a Cinderella.

He grasped her shoulder.  "Rin… if there's a Cinderella here… none of us are safe…"

The girl nodded and propped herself back up on her crutch.  "I… I know…"

He gave one last glance to the woman he'd destroyed.  Was she someone's sister?  Someone's beloved lost daughter?  He never even knew her name… and now nobody would know what happened to her.

He felt sick with the guilt, even if he knew that he'd had to choose who would live and who would die… and he couldn't let Rin be the one to die…

"Don't, Len.  Don't blame yourself."

Rin stared at him sympathetically.  "We have to save the others."

 

Miku fought to parry her opponent's blows as the purple haired woman came at her wielding a butterfly knife.  The woman had tried to take her by surprise but Miku's paranoia at her surroundings foiled her the second she'd heard the blade unfolding.

She could have turned and shot her and gotten the element of surprise… but she didn't want to cause her demise.

She didn't know this woman's name, but she knew she was like her.  Another lost Cinderella, forced by fate into battle.  She would dispatch her, find out who'd sent her, and then knock her out.  This was her creed.

The woman tried to plunge the weapon right into Miku's chest, only for the girl to take a chance and grab at her extended arm, flipping her over and kicking her in the chest.  She took the advantage and pinned her down by sitting right on her back.  "Who are your masters?!  The Godmothers!?" she growled.

"You'll never have us!" the woman shouted, "Your Prince is already lost to you!"

'K-Kaito!'

"Where is he?!  Have you… Have you…?!"

She never should have abandoned him, no matter what the danger outside!  She felt weak at the thought of Kaito having been taken out so swiftly…

"You'll never have him… his enemies have taken him… miserable little traitor!"

Miku wrapped her elbow around the woman's throat, listening for the telltale sounds of her diving into unconsciousness before releasing her.  'I have to get back to the hotel!  I have to make sure he's okay!'

As Miku sprung up to her feet, she found herself staring down the last person she wanted to see.  Luka, dressed as a nurse, with her hat and mask discarded.  The woman's raised pistol gave Miku no time to dodge –

The gunshot rang out and Miku heard a gurgling cry behind her.  She turned to see the woman she'd just been fighting with fall down dead, blood soaking her chest from the entrance wound, her knife plunging into the ground next to her.  "You show mercy too easily," Luka whispered matter-of-factly.

"You… what do you want of me?!" Miku shouted, ready for a new fight, "Did you kill Kaito?!"

"You.  I want to hear your answer.  Why did you try to change fate?"

'What kind of question is this?!' Miku thought to herself.

"You cast aside all that you had to protect him.  To risk never having a life of your own again.  I will hear of what drove you.  Now."

Miku looked at the woman's face, searching her for some sign of her thoughts.  What did she want?!  She'd filled Kaito's head with tales of Sudland, driving the conflict inside of him... he'd taken pity on her and let her live…

She thought of how Kaito admired her strength and courage, how Rin praised her bravery in the moment of truth no matter how cowardly Miku felt…

"... I made my choice because of him.  Because Kaito showed me kindness when no other person did."

Her hands balled into tight fists as her memories crowded into her head.  "I wanted nothing more than for our fates to be different.  And in the last moments, when the clock chimed… I decided I had the right to control fate.  To choose who I would be.  To choose who would answer to.  To choose… to fall in love."

As if her heart had ever changed from that moment.  Her feelings had never changed.  They'd simply grown the more she'd come to know him, taking root in her heart like a sprouting flower.

She raised her own knife defiantly.  "I'll fight for that future, no matter how brief it may be.  Even if the world is my enemy, I'd rather die for that short existence of my own than live forever as a prisoner again."

Luka finally lowered her weapon, and her face finally calmed.  "Such simplicity… maybe I should have expected that in the end… you would never truly be broken."

"LUKA!"

Miku saw Gakupo running towards them, covered in sweat and panting from what looked like a rather long chase. "I… I finally found you… before… before…"

The doctor gasped in horror as he saw the body of the dead Cinderella.  He moved towards her instinctually, before Miku broke the sad news.  "She's already passed… we… we didn't have a choice…"

He stopped in his tracks, a sad acceptance settling over him.  "I'm sorry, Gakupo…" Miku began to say.

"… no.  Don't apologize.  There is not bringing her back."

Gakupo turned to Luka.  "Did you save her life?"

The woman looked away awkwardly.  "I… it turned out that way, yes.  I wanted to take the assassins out _before_ they reached their targets, but their Cinderella training let them slip away so quickly I had to settle for stopping one of them after they tracked their targets…"

"Then there's another one?!"

Miku began to panic again.  "Did that one kill him?!"

"Kaito isn't dead!  Not yet!" Luka shouted, "But he will be soon.  He departed with the Loyalists from your hotel, to meet with his parents.  Alone."

'Alone!?  But he promised… unless…'

If Kaito left without a word, he must have had a reason!  Then what was it…

"Think Miku.  Who else wore white masks that night?"

Miku tried to separate her nightmares from reality to recall these details.  Tonio, of course.  Several of the nobles.  And… and…

"… the King and Queen."

She shuddered as the realization fell over her.  "What do they have to gain from killing their own son?" she protested.

"… perhaps Kaito had become an obstacle to them."

Gakupo's cold reasoning surprised Miku, but he was dead serious.  "More importantly, where are they heading off with him without a word?  They've got quite the head start on us."

"The Zellen Sea."

Luka was surprisingly well informed.  "And you got that information, how?" Miku asked suspiciously.

"Hmph.  It wasn't that hard, I kept an ear to the ground.  Cars have been coming in and out of here from out that way for some time and the royal family maintains operations out there.  It's the most logical location for them to take shelter while they try and tighten their grip again…"

The sound of military planes overhead cut them off.  Miku watched the sky as one large dark shape began to blot out light above them.  The zeppelin, the Fantasie… with bombs strapped to its sides.  Miku held her breath as it chugged ahead in the sky, fortunately not dropping its payload.

"Gakupo!  Miku!"

Miku heard Rin's voice calling out.  "We're under attack!  This crazy woman tried to kill us and… and… CRAP!  It's another one!"

Luka let out an annoyed sigh. "If I was going to kill you, I'd have done it already!" she protested.

"If Kaito is going to die or worse in the next few hours… we need to find him…" Miku said.

She had to fight for him, even if he was giving up.  The specter of his parents was still trapping him, even as he sought to be free.

She couldn't let him stay caged even unto death.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just another reminder, since I can't send messages on AO3 - if a chapter is late, check my DeviantArt, Wattpad, or Tumblr accounts (all at Rebochan). I will always post updates there!
> 
> Man, I'm really racking up the late chapters.  Don't worry guys, I'm not giving up on this story – even when the chapters are late, I'm always writing them.  I want this story done and as you may have gathered, some plot points are coming to a head.  First work then illness delayed this sucker, and I apologize if this chapter has more typos than usual.  I really hoped at some point I'd be getting ahead, but strangely as the story has hit its narrative payoffs, it's getting harder to write because I want to get them just right.  This is a story with a lot of complex political angles, and I don't actually want to bury people in that too much buuuut hey, something has to kick off a war, right?
> 
> Fun fact: color photography was in fact in active use during the early 20th century, it was just so complex that only hobbyist photographers took advantage of it until it became more commercially viable much later in the 20th century.  In the course of researching it, I actually found a huge archive of color photographs taken in the time leading up to World War I.  I figured Gumi would be the type to dedicate herself to the far more complicated development process, the little shutterbug.  For once I'm not blurring history too hard :)
> 
> In case anyone is curious, the two unfortunate Cinderellas this chapter were Lapis and Merli.  Hence why Merli fought with a butterfly knife ;)
> 
> The "Union of Columbia" is meant to be the United States. It was actually kind of hard to come up with an alt-universe name for my own country because it's not that old and has been pretty consistantly named unlike some of the other countries I've been able to have fun with using etymology on. "Columbia" is an image used to be the personification of the United States itself during a brief period in the late 1800s and fell out in the early 1900s. If you played Bioshock Infinite, they were using the same source I was for their fictional flying death island.
> 
> Songs: Kaito was singing and playing "[Broken Rain](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsXkO1mcp9g)" by Shinjou-P, a song where she deliberately tried to have Kaito's sung words match the pattern of falling rain drops.


	10. Chapter 10: The Castle Where Orphans Gather

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaito's moment of reckoning is at hand. He expects to march to his own destruction, and his only plan rests on giving his life for a mad plan... he expects no saving, only to die and try to save Estmarch's future with his own death.

Kaito could smell the faint scent of salt in the sharp cold air.  'Is this the ocean?' he thought to himself, 'At least… I'll have some experience with it before I…'

No.  He would not have any enjoyment of the seas.  He had limited time to carry out his plans.

He was certain that his own parents had ordered his assassination.  There was no mistake any longer from observation.  He'd built a careful case in his mind no matter how much he yearned for it to be false.  That meant that somehow… Kaito himself had become an obstacle to their conquest.

From this point forward, his life was forfeit.  He was going to die.  Therefore… he had to make his death count.

And so he plotted out how he would assassinate his own parents.

He knew full well that such an action would not guarantee him any survival – the Loyalists had chosen to stand behind the King and Queen of Estmarch.   The Prince meant nothing to them, nor did he believe himself capable of rallying them to him after committing parricide.  Besides, their Honor Guard would be close and would shoot him dead within moments.

So his only choice was to make sure his shots counted.

That he end the line of House Shion in one day.

The Emerald Dawn would win, but he had no solution to stop both evils from darkening Estmarch.  If he could only destroy one, at least that would give his people a fighting chance.

But the more he tried to work up the nerve to commit to the crime, the more his nerves shook.  He had never killed a man.  No matter how good of a shot he was, he'd never pointed his gun at a living person and expected to hit them.  Now he was not only intending to break his own codes of pacifism, but he was to turn on the two people he'd loved the most for so much of his life.

'I should have asked Miku how to do this when I had the chance.  But then… she hasn't killed anyone either, has she?  I suppose that wouldn't have worked then.'

"Are you quite well, your Highness?" Dex asked.

Kaito tried to maintain his spirits.  Dex was driving the vehicle, with Kaito the only passenger.  "I have experienced a great many terrible events in these last weeks.  Being reunited with my family only grants me a small comfort."

"Be grateful.  Not all of us have that luxury."

Kaito tried to read between the lines.  "Then Lord Grauwolf…?"

"They lined him up against the wall, along with everyone he was with.  They didn't even care for the title – they even shot the footman as if he was responsible for it all.  I'm all that remains.  I was _lucky_ the Loyalists made contact with me and that your parents trusted me with so much.  At least when he died for me… the King told me he'd make sure my life mattered.  That this coup ends with every last one of the bastards dead and everyone who helped them rotting.  No matter what I have to do to make that happen…"

The car rolled over a wooden bridge covering a gorge, where Kaito could see a small river that no doubt emptied into the ocean below.

Kaito almost envied the young man's intensity.  He had a goal, and nothing stopped him from pursuing it.  How many had he already managed to kill simply because he believed it was right?  'And here I can't even work up the nerve to put an end to… my mother and father…'

Dex's anger began to calm. "I just consider it a great fortune that Lady Daina Rotfuchs had cancelled her attendance that night or I would even be without a fiancé.  But she and her family are safe in Westheim… I doubt they'll return any time soon."

The silver-haired youth remained a mystery to Kaito.  How much did he know?  Did any of the Loyalists know the full extent of the plan?  He briefly considered telling Dex what he suspected, but he held his tongue.  Right now, all of Kaito's evidence was circumstantial.  He believed it to be true due to his deep understanding of how his parents operated.  Dex had none of that experience, and as he'd just revealed, he had a near fanatical belief in them.

Unfortunately for the Prince, this task was his alone.

'I wonder if it will be Dex that shoots me in the end?'

How strange their paths – Kaito had never properly befriended the noble youth, now a lord to a precarious house of Estmarch.  But over one week the two had something of an acquaintance.  As their fathers spoke of the political business Kaito was constantly sheltered from, the two had engaged in target shooting.

Dex was from a family with illustrious military victories, and there was no doubt a war on the horizon for him to continue his family's legacy.  And of course, Kaito was to one day be King.  The two youths each carried massive expectations on their shoulders, and for a few days, they had someone else to share those with.  And a shared love for a simple sport.  But that was the last Kaito had seen of the young Lord Grauwolf.

"… I don't suppose when this business is resolved with your parents that you'd be up for a rematch?"

So apparently it still meant something to him.  Kaito knew that rematch would never happen, but he dare not let his plans escape.  "Of course."

He stared along the road, watching the sheet of grey clouds seemingly heralding the coming of an early winter…

 

_His mother fussed over his clothes with unusual nervousness.  Was it just because of the possibility of the marriage arrangement?  The way she tied his sash, straightened his collar, it was as if she didn't think him capable of presenting himself to an eligible young woman._

_"Meiko is arriving soon, right?" Kaito asked pointedly, "I do hope I'll have enough time to speak with her."_

_"She's in her quarters now with her photographer," the Queen said._

_The Queen brushed Kaito's hair out of his face, and he had about had it.  "Mother, what makes you so nervous?  I promise I won't be an obstacle in marrying this woman that Tonio has set up for me."_

_'Set up.'  Kaito always knew he would inevitably marry someone his parents chose, but it still sounded so stilted.  But he tried to remind himself to be polite.  He hadn't met the girl yet, and she had the right to be given a fair chance.  Besides… there was always a chance she was different._

_"My shining jewel."_

_Kaito tried to suppress his cringing._

_"You are everything to Estmarch, but more importantly, you are everything to me.  Your mother.  On this eve, I see you as not just my son, but the man you could become.  I only ask that you not forget my love for you as you follow your path into the future."_

_The earnest words spoken from his mother caught him off guard.  Was she merely worried about losing her son to a possible bride?  Suddenly Kaito stopped seeing her as the controlling matriarch she'd become and he saw the lines in her face, the gray hairs creeping into her braid.  He was her only son, and she'd only had to share him with her husband… not with an outsider._

_As trying as she could be… as much as she kept him free of his duties in Estmarch… she was still his mother.  And he could see the love in her actions even as she vexed him._

_"Mother, I promise you… I will be as Prince Charming to her this eve."_

_He bowed to her as she'd taught him and he thought he saw the hints of tears in her eyes as he rose.  "Thank you, Kaito.  My son."_

Snow began to fall as Kaito and Dex entered into his family's estate.  He'd glimpsed it in photographs before – only those depicted it in luxury and splendor.  Not as it was now, converted into a base for military operations.  The furniture seemed less grandiose when crammed next to gun racks and provisions.

He searched the faces of the soldiers, wondering if he'd known any of them.  There appeared to be no familiar faces – he would know his parent's honor guard by their uniforms, not their names or faces.

Kaito had never been granted his own personal guard.  The fortress he'd grown up in was supposed to be enough to protect him.

'But not from them,' he thought to himself.

Soon enough, he was met by a woman with long, pale blonde hair with two small braids in front.  She wore a black uniform shirt and long black skirt, with a blue sash around her neck.   'That must be her…'

But she looked so young!  Was she another lost Cinderella?  Obviously the King and Queen were not above hiring them.  Was she also working for them?

'Must I distrust every innocent looking woman I meet from here forward?'

It didn't matter.  He was going to shoot his parents and then he needn't trust anyone.

"Sir."

Of course nobody would be told of his arrival, of who he was supposed to be.  As Dex explained in the car, while _he_ was certain that Kaito was who he claimed to be, the King and Queen had not yet met him and they intended to keep his claims quiet until he could provide proof.  So this young lady wouldn't have been informed either.

"My name is Ia.  I've been given strict orders to take you back.  Consider yourself lucky, you've been granted a private audience with the true rulers of Estmarch."

He waited with tense breath as she began to pat his body down for obvious weapons… but not thoroughly enough.  As she stopped, he felt relief that she'd missed the pistol strapped tightly to his body.  The whole murder plan would come to nothing if he was unarmed.

His father was a crack shot after all.

_Kaito waited impatiently in the hallway for his father to finish up his latest business.  Political business, as usual.  'I should be meeting with Meiko now!' he lamented, 'But I must stay abreast of this…'_

_He strained his hearing to try and make out any words at all, but there remained nothing for him to hear.  More and more his father was calling private meetings, and Kaito knew what that meant.  He'd lived through four Rose Wars now, and they were always preceded by his parents sequestering themselves away._

_'I should be at that table too.  I'm an adult!  I'm the Prince!'_

_At last the door opened and he saw his father step out with his advisor, Lord Tonio.  "Kaito.  You should be with your guest.  I'll remind you we brought her here at considerable expense."_

_He waved off Tonio, and the bearded man barely regarded the prince as he strolled past.  He thought little of it – most of the people of import did that.  They knew how little power he held, and that he was far too good natured to have them punished for petty slights._

_"Father, you must be honest with me.  Meiko came all the way from Nordland tonight.  I am not blind to your intentions."_

_The King brushed aside his concerns.  "I assure you that Nordland's fortunes do not turn on the whims of a mere singer.  She has no connections to their crown."_

_Kaito inhaled deeply, trying to steady his temper.  "I am aware of this.  But I ask that before Estmarch engages on another rash path, that you at least speak to her.  She may not be Nordland's crown, but she most certainly represents Nordland's heart."_

_"Kaito, this business is not the concern of-"_

_"If something were to happen to you, who would rule in your stead?!  Someone like that Tonio person!?"_

_Again Kaito felt his temper boiling over.  "You and Mother never stopped speaking of me as your grand heir, but here I stand, ready to play my part in Estmarch, and you still conceal it all from me!  If there is truly such violent elements in our kingdom, what if, god forbid, they were to claim you?  I would King of a land I know nothing of, of people I've never met, marshalling wars I've never fired a single shot within!"_

_"That is enough!"_

_Apparently his father had finally found a way to lose patience with him.  "You are the heir of Estmarch, and right now your duty is to stand before its people and marshal their spirits!  The business of politics will be left to you when you are ready!"_

_"And when is that ever going to happen!?"_

_His father's face darkened further and for just a moment Kaito felt a flash of fear.  The other servants within the castle often scurried out of the man's way, though Kaito never understood why.  Except in this moment._

_"Prove that you can be generous to the woman that Tonio is arranging for you and we'll speak of it.  Right now, **that** is your duty."_

_Kaito's fear faded as the King's temper slipped back into the regent's control.  He strode away from his son, glancing back for only a second, as if Kaito were about to disappear into nothingness._

_'I only have to treat her well.. fine then… I can do this.  Hopefully she's warm and kind and it will be easy.'_

_The weight of expectation pressed down upon him and he stared outside the open windows into the stars.  'If I marry… would that allow me to finally have my freedom?'_

_He began to wonder where this 'Marchenland' was and wished fervently in his heart that if all went well… she could be a path to the outside world he so yearned to see…_

_He was to be as Prince Charming upon the dance floor and finally he would have his fate._

As Kaito passed in doors, past one guard after another, he felt the weight of his task bearing down on him.  Every door appeared an escape, an excuse to run away.  But he couldn't run.  Even if he was trying to marshal the strength to escape and flee his horrible fate, he tried to press on by remembering what good he was about to bring to Estmarch.

'This is my fate.  This is why I was born.  I was born to save Estmarch.  From my family.'

He saw two ominous double doors and realized from the Honor Guard's uniforms that this must be the room containing his parents.  So quickly it was coming to an end.  So swiftly he was to die.  He ran over the plan in his mind.

_"I don't know why fate led me to you, but… I must protect you."_

He could still imagine Miku's voice in his mind.  'Miku… perhaps your fate was to save me long enough to save Estmarch.'

He approached the doors and Ia opened them up for him, Kaito passing into the threshold.

He tried to will himself to draw his weapon as his eyes settled on two familiar faces.  This was what he'd built up to, his final fate!  He had to do this, he must!  His arm shook as he tried to pull the weapon…

…but just the sight of his mother's worried face, his father's calm eyes…

He thought of falling asleep in her arms as she read him stories… he dreamt of the days he spent carefully preparing his performances for them…

He dreamt of the target shooting with the King, of his pride at his son's skill…

Tears came to his eyes and Kaito surrendered himself entirely, his arms falling to his sides.  He had no will for the deed any longer.

He was too weak.

"Father… Mother…" he whispered, "You're alive… you're both alive…"

For a few moments nothing else passed between them.  Had he not known the truth, he would have expected his mother to come running to him… but she and the King remained seated at the edge of the room, far from him.  But even seated they couldn't hide their feelings.  His mother clutched at the center of her chest, her fingers tracing small circles from her nerves.  His father’s hands tightly clenched at his knees, the knuckles turning white from pressure.

But all too quickly Kaito had to break the silence and shatter the lies between them.  He needed only ask one question.

“Why?”

The Queen’s nervous fingers intensified.  “Whatever do you ask?”

“Why did you send a Cinderella to kill me?”

She began to clutch at her jewels while his father spoke for her.  “For the same reason we sequestered you far from the corrupt rot of the courts and the fetid stench of the decaying masses.  Because we believed in Estmarch’s future.”

Now Kaito was hearing his father speak as only a tyrant would.  “We raised you in perfection, to create a perfect heir that would marshal Estmarch into its rightful place as the ruler of this continent.  But we erred – we loved our son more than we loved the Empire.”

“Your heart retains its innocence, a belief in the inherent goodness of all.  We should have broken you of it before it took root.  But we could commit to what was needed.  We loved you too much to destroy what you were.”

“Then I apologize for my concern for the people who starved so the rich might eat, for the wounded torn apart by your need for conquest… for the children who burned in Sudland merely for believing they had the right to live for themselves.”

Kaito spoke curtly as his temper simmered.  How could they speak of loving him after what they'd done?! “And the Godmothers, you hired them after Lord Mayor Kiyoteru spoke with you, did you?”

A moment of silence fell.  “They found us, actually.  We were at a loss over what to do for the future of Estmarch!  We couldn't put someone like you on the throne, you don't understand what must be done for the greater good!  You have not the will!"

The King seemed hellbent on shattering any of his son's illusions that he had ever truly been what the same man ever desired in a son. The harsh words became like daggers slicing at the poor man who had committed no apparent sin save for believing in a better world.

“You colluded with them?” he murmured.

His mother's resolve seemed to be recovering, even if she still played with her necklace.  “They are people who understand necessity.  The true path forward.  They gave us access to the Dawn.  They gave us a way forward.”

Kaito couldn't believe his ears.  “Are you saying the Fairy Godmothers wield the Emerald Dawn?!”

“As our puppets, yes.  This civil conflict was a necessity to clear out the weakest parts of our country.  Cleanse the rioters and agitators.  It's merely gotten out of hand.”

Madness… people were giving their lives for his family’s name and all because his parents saw an opportunity.  “Then the military assets in the north are to take Nordland.”

Kaito looked up at his parents as his temper boiled.  “Then you were planning on pinning the whole thing on Meiko… portraying her as a spy perhaps?”

He almost wanted to point out the irony to them that the "innocent" singer was _actually_ working against them for once.  But he saw little point.  He hoped quietly that Meiko had indeed managed to get her warnings out to the Nordland crown.

“We were ready to make the sacrifice needed.  We both love you… but we must face reality.  If the culmination of your life was to be so beloved upon your death that we could rid Estmarch of evil and bring the jewel of Nordland under our control… we had no other choice.”

Kaito had always known his mother to possess a sharp intellect, but to see it deployed to such ruthlessness…

"Then what is my place now?  I am still the _only_ heir to Estmarch.  Who do you intend to have carry on the bloodline without me?"

"Assuming your mother cannot simply bear another child, we will be forced to seek out an heir apparent," the King spoke gravely, "But perhaps that is best.  We won't be clouded by the mindless love for a child, we will simply seek out the correct person from many suitable candidates.  House Shion would adopt him and the line would be pure."

Silence again.  Had he stumped them?  Had they a moment of questioning the idea of Kaito possibly being swayed into joining them?

"The Godmothers, are they still working with you?  Do you truly think those foul people can be trusted?"

"They've provided us valuable aid so far.  Targets we could use to undermine the Dawn.  'Grand General' Tonio seems to believe he's actually in charge, but he'll find quite the surprise when the _Fantasie_ rolls up to his forces."

'The _Fantasie_ … was that why it was headed this way?'

But moreover, everything he'd seen of the Godmothers so far gave Kaito no indication that they were truly "loyal" to anyone.  "What makes you so certain they're of value to you?  If you didn't found them, then who did?"

"My shining jewel."

Kaito cringed at hearing that name again, uttered from his mother's lips.  "You've no need to concern yourself with these matters.  Clearly, you're not level-headed enough for the Loyalists.  Did that young Cinderella charm you with her lies?"

" _Don't_.  Insult Miku."

The lovely sad maiden that stood by him through all the evil surrounding them.

"You don't see it?  She saw a chance to snatch a bit of power for herself – just killing you would have gotten her a pittance.  But swaying you to her cause would split the kingdom up the middle – a romance torn apart by tyrants."

"I'm _warning_ you."

He could handle their insults being turned on him – at least that was a dose of honesty.  But Kaito knew Miku's true heart.  He knew what she'd suffered.

"You already know her capable of lying to get close to you.  What makes you so certain she won't manipulate you once you've made it out of Estmarch, into the waiting arms of allies?  Quite frankly, the little tart has you wrapped around her finger-"

A gunshot rang out in the court…

… and as Kaito's hand throbbed from the bullet grazing the top of it, forcing his weapon out of his hands, he knew he'd been had.  "If you wanted to kill us, your best opportunity was when you first arrived," his father scolded, holding his still smoking pistol.

Before another word passed between them, Kaito found himself pinned to the floor by several armed Honor Guards.  He struggled for just a second before he cried out when his stitches pulled at his old wound.  "Your Highness!  What is your command!" barked Ia as she kept a sword pointed at his throat.

The King's face was filled with indignant fury.  "This man is an imposter, posing as our deceased son!"

"No-!" Kaito protested.

"Take him out into the back gardens and call the soldiers together!  We must make an example of him lest another sprouts up in his place!"

Kaito stared into the eyes of his mother, but she bore him no mercy.  But why would she?  She'd sent him to his death before… and just now she'd pulled every one of his heart strings to provoke him and prevent her from committing the deed herself.

He was yanked back up to his feet as his wrists were bound behind him.  "It will take but an hour, Your Highness!"

Pushed through the halls, Kaito briefly laid eyes on Dex.  "What… what is going on?" he asked in shock.

"You allowed an imposter to enter this fort and nearly assassinate our beloved rulers!" Ia shouted, "How do we know you're not involved?!"

"But there must be some mistake!  That man, he-"

But then the King and Queen strode out and the pale haired youth stammered into silence.  "Spare the young Lord your wrath," the Queen said calmly, "This man was a very _good_ imposter if he managed to trick us.  But we must trust that you'll learn from this if House Grauwolf is to stay on good terms in the future."

"Dex…" Kaito murmured.

Dex walked over to him, staring long and hard at him… or was it at the bleeding wound in his side?  And for a moment, Kaito thought he might have some belief in him – but then Dex lowered his head.  "Of course I trust you, your Highness… I'm sorry I allowed my _emotions_ to cloud my judgement."

And as he stormed away, Kaito felt the last flicker of hope die in his heart.  'The _Fantasie_ is coming… I couldn't stop a war, I couldn't stop anything… now I'm merely to serve as a pawn to shore up loyalty…'

He gave no more protest.  He merely wanted it to come to an end.

 

_Kaito skipped behind his grandmother in the rose gardens, singing a song to himself as she admired the flowers._

_"When a strong-willed flower, blooming in a wheel rut, subtly changes its expression in a split second, I exclaim in awe of the delicate elegance of its solitude, that I become at a loss, unable to bring myself to tread over it…"_

_The white haired matriarch bore a broad smile as her hands ran over the delicate petals.  Her fingers were gnarled much like the twisted trunk of the bushes, but even in her old age she radiated a lovely beauty and strength from within._

_"Welcoming dawns with morning dews, and then bidding to dusks farewell, the swift-footed time leaves behind nothing more than its footprints…"_

_Kaito abruptly stopped his song as he spied several flat stones in the grass.  The child scrambled through the grass as he gathered them up.  When he stood up, his grandmother was already in front of him, and he barely reached halfway up her legs.  "And what has disrupted your song, little rose?"_

_'Little rose' had long been her nickname for Kaito, and he cherished it – she granted no such nicknames to Kaito's father, her own son._

_The child Prince proudly opened his hands to show her the stones.  "For us!" he said happily._

_His grandmother sifted through the stones and took her favorite out, examining it so closely it may well be a precious metal and not a simple garden pebble.  "I like this one best.  You've such a good eye for this."_

_She gave her grandson a loving pat on the head._

_"Do you think we could get mother and father to do this some time?"_

_The old woman's expression grew grim.  "They seem to be having far more important matters to attend to," she whispered._

_Then the woman looked straight into his eyes and Kaito thought he could see years of weariness behind them.  "Kaito, do you know what a Rose War is?"_

_"Ah!  Mother says it's like how the rose bush takes root within the soil and spreads it's branches across the world!"_

_His grandmother released a sad sigh and turned back to the roses.  "Kaito.  The strength of the rose is not in its size or its thorns, but in its endurance.  In snow and frost, it bides its time… until calamity passes and it casts its blooms out unto the world."_

_She gently ran one of her fingers along his cheeks.  "Kaito, you must be like the rose.  Unyielding, but pure.  Be the blossom that banishes the calamity."_

A chilly wind cut through the outdoor air as Kaito stood, his wrists bound behind him and keeping him strong against a pole as the snow built up along the ground.  The back gardens were a massive, walled in complex – clearly meant to serve not just as a place of pleasure but a possible gathering place for soldiers.  Even when his parents claimed to be building a secret place of pleasure, they'd merely been attempting to create another staging ground for a war.

And now Kaito was in the center of them.  Before him was a sea of faces, all wearing the uniforms of Estmarch, the kingdom he'd once been promised.  Everyone of them believing him to be false, and never knowing of their complicity in regicide.

Technically, his parents needed no such subterfuge – his father was of the long line of Shion and could simply declare his own son dead by divine right.  But even Kaito recognized that such an act would hardly aid his parents.  Thus the lie to paper over the crime – and to allow Kaito to be done away with without either one of them pulling the trigger.

He wanted to shout out his true identity and challenge them, but when even Dex doubted his identity, how could he expect strangers to believe him?

He heard footsteps behind him as a blindfold wrapped around his eyes.  The moment was finally upon him, and he wouldn't even know when it would happen.  When the bullet would enter his heart and he would cease to live.

'Miku… I'm so sorry… I only thought to protect you from them.  I didn't wish for you to suffer.'

As his heart beat increased from the anticipation of the killing shot, he decided to spend his final moments thinking not of his own failures, but of the brave Cinderella he'd had the fortunate circumstance to meet.  He began to imagine a different life for them, outside of the tragedy.  He envisioned himself far from the cold of Estmarch, the shots of war, somewhere peaceful… playing by the ocean?  Why not?

'Miku… however short this time was… having you in my life was the greatest boon I could ever imagine…'

"Rifles up!"

He tried only to think of the lovely sea green of her twin tails, flowing in the wind…

"In the name of Estmarch, I sentence thee, traitor, to death!  Let this be a warning to all that defy the mighty of the true ruling house!"

He could hear the loud buzzing of the _Fantasie's_ engines approaching the castle and clenched his teeth…

… "Ready… aim…"

He thought he heard the sounds of a scuffle outside the castle.  Had someone broken in?

"Wait!  Stop her!  Stop her now!"

Kaito heard footsteps approaching him and felt two feminine hands grasping his own… before two loud gunshots rang out…

… from behind him.

"The King!  The Queen!"

_"Merde!_ Already they turn on them?!  Were they just waiting for them to get into one place?!"

And as the blindfold fell from his eyes… he gasped in shock.

Kaito's parents on the ground, shot square in the forehead.

They were _dead_.

Before the shock could fully settle in he realized he was looking right at the pink-haired assassin that had tried to kill him before, standing just a few feet in front of him scanning the sky behind him, a pistol drawn and pointed behind him.  "Luka, you… you killed-"

"Luka, find that damn sniper!  They're not on our side!"

"Miku!" he shouted in shock as he felt someone cutting at his bindings on the pole.

"Luka, please-"

Luka rushed forward, her eyes above him, trying to put herself between some unseen fore.  Two more shots fired out… he watched smoke drift from Luka's pistol… he saw blood rush down her face from a wound along her right eye… she collapsed along the ground…

Behind him, he heard a body fall and hit the ground but nothing worried him more than the fact that Luka _had just died for him_.

As the ties were cut, he rushed towards her body in a panic.  "Luka!"

" _M…Merde_ …" she muttered, trying to stand.

"Oh my god, you're still alive…"

"I didn't do it… just so you know, I didn't kill either of them…" she groaned, trying to stand up, "Their pet Cinderella stole it from me…"

"Kaito, we can get her to Gakupo, quickly!"

He turned up to see Miku again, real and alive.  "We don't have much time, the _Fantasie_ is right overhead!"

Without another word, Kaito scooped the woman up in his arms.  "Kaito, come on, we only have a tiny window of escape!"

He rushed across the empty garden, tossing a glance at the fallen sniper and recognizing her as the woman he'd known as "Ia."  "Is Gakupo here?!" he shouted.

"Of course he is!  We all came!" Miku cried out, "We have to get out, they're going to make everything so much worse-"

And that was when it seemed like the entire world suddenly burst into flames.  The bombs began to fall from the sky, bursting apart.  Kaito was nearly thrown to the floor from the shock.  "The… The Fantasie… the Dawn…"

"As if the Godmothers would have allowed them to have their air force…" Luka murmured.

As they stumbled to stand, a member of the Honor Guard appeared.  "What have you monsters done?!" he shouted as he charged forward…

Only to collapse to a loud shot from Miku's pistol, the bullet piercing his forehead…

Somehow everything became so much more real.  The green-haired girl showed no emotion to having shot a man dead.  "Keep going!  There's planes outside… they must be planning on levelling it all!" she barked out to him.

Kaito kept a hand on his pistol as he tried to steady Luka, watching her condition with care.  Her face was still covered in blood even as she shook.  "I can still fight…" she coughed.

Another explosion in front of them almost ended them as the castle's roof began to collapse.  "Rendezvous this way!" Miku cried out.

And it seemed there were no obstacles in her path.  Any remotely threatening figure was rapidly dealt with by Miku's expert shots. He cried out as he heard a gunshot right in his ear before he realized it was Luka shooting at someone behind him.  "Idiot, you should have left me behind," she muttered, "This is worthless if you die here."

"It's worthless if you die for no reason," he tried to say in a reassuring manner.

"Come on, we cleared them out over here!"

'Dex?!'

He tensed up expecting a fight when he saw the silver-haired youth guarding a path out, but he lowered his pistol on Kaito's approach.  "You are _surprisingly_ hard to kill, Your Highness," he said with a sly smirk.

The boy kicked the door open and gestured outside.  "He's got a wounded and there's more behind him!"

On the word "wounded", Kaito saw Gakupo run in with his medical kit, followed by Meiko and Gumi, the latter of whom kept firing wildly behind her with a machine gun.  He took one look at Luka's bloody face and he took her from Kaito's arms.  "I can't save anyone else here," he murmured, "But I won't let her die.  I will try and save _one_ life today."

The doctor's confidence seemed shaken by the violence around him.  Kaito looked to Dex.  "You believed me after all?"

"We'd all heard the story about you being stabbed by your dance partner.  And you were bleeding in that same spot.  That along with everything else… I don't know how much further the King and Queen went, but I'm certain now that my father became a casualty to their mad ambitions!"

"Dex helped us get in, he shot the door guards," Miku explained, "We never would have gotten to you in time to stop the execution otherwise…"

Despite his actions in his service, Dex still appeared grim.  "We have no time.  We have to escape.  You have to live.  They wanted you to die, and I want nothing else but for that to be wrong.  You… You are to be King of Estmarch."

King.  He was now King.  Because…

Kaito tried to bury all of it in the sensation of the need to survive as another bomb fell from overhead.  "Go!  You, treat her elsewhere!"

Gakupo was clutching Luka tightly to his side, and he whispered something into her ears.  "We'll do our best."

And at once Kaito was running across a battlefield, trying to stay out of the range of enemy bullets.  He saw a man take aim at Miku – and he fired without a second thought.

He felt sick as he watched the body crumple.  'There was no choice… there was no choice…' he tried to reassure himself.

"Damn them, they're chasing us down!" Meiko shouted, "This isn't going to work!  We'll never get you to the cars with Rin and Len if this keeps up!"

Dex clutched his gun tightly.  "Then I'll stay behind and stall them."

"NO!" Kaito shouted, "That's a suicide mission!"

"I let them talk me into horrible atrocities…" the boy murmured as he tried to keep his gun focused behind him, "Let me do this."

"I'll join you and we'll actually make it out alive!" Meiko commanded, "Gumi, I want you to take Gakupo and Luka the hell out of here while Miku and Kaito escape and-"

"Meiko!  Please, I can't just-"

The normally cold girl seemed horrified at the prospect of being separated from her partner.  More explosions rang out behind them as the fighting grew closer.  "Gumi, one of us has to make it home and warn the King.  Gakupo will keep you alive.  Luka will fill in the gaps.  I'm the expendable one… and anyway Dex and I are going to keep the lot of you safe.  We all know where we're heading – we'll meet up in Westheim.  I promise."

"Please…"

Miku grabbed at Kaito's arm and started to drag him forward.  "Westheim.  I'll be waiting for you," Kaito shouted as he continued his panicked run.

He and Miku tried to stay low as they heard gunfire from above – the planes were strafing the fields he was in, cutting down more and more of the Loyalist army.  "They leave nothing to chance!" Kaito shouted.

"Neither do we!" Miku reassured him, "The cars!  Onward!"

He spotted the blond twins standing outside their cars near the road back out of the Zellen Sea.  "Rin!  Len!"  


As he approached he saw several dead soldiers surrounding the vehicles.  Each twin was holding a weapon… it was unlikely only one of them had done the deed…

"Where's Meiko and Gumi?!  Where's Gakupo?!" Rin asked in a panic.

Miku looked backed grimly.  "Gakupo and Gumi are escaping on their own with Luka – she was gravely injured.  Meiko and… and Dex… they're buying us time."

Len turned a shade whiter as he realized what they had committed to.  But he tried to further resolve himself.  "Then we'll still take two cars.  Miku, Kaito, you get ahead of us, Rin and I will make sure the back is clear.  We have some 'surprises' for anyone chasing us!  You know the road out, Miku!"

"Right, up the hills and into the mountains!" she called out.

"In this weather?!" Kaito said, kicking at the rapidly accumulating snow on the ground.

"It will give us cover from the skies-"

The _Fantasie_ 's explosive payloads silenced any more discussion.  Kaito could hear the buzzing of the strafing planes, the sounds of their rapid gunfire from the air…

"We can do this, Your Highness."

Rin had yet to talk to Kaito using his title, but the gravity in her choice of it gave Kaito an idea of how important it was to her that he escape.  His heart pounded as he leapt into a vehicle with Miku.  She started it up quickly and screeched ahead.  Kaito made sure his pistol was loaded and kept watching out the back window for any pursuers.  Rin and Len quickly caught up to them.

A white plane dove out of the clouds, firing its weapons.  Kaito tried to clip it with his own weapon, shooting at the wings helplessly but a mere pistol wasn't going to be enough.  He tried to level his weapon at the engine, but at the speed it was closing in on them, he couldn't train his gun on it properly.  He ducked his head inside trying to dogde more bullets, but he knew once the plane was close enough it could easily shoot through the vehicle and kill himself and Miku…

That's when the car behind him suddenly began to… glow?

No – it was on _fire_.

"LEN!  RIN!" he shouted, "Did that plane hit their engines!?"

His own car lurched forward as Miku pressed down even harder.  "We can't leave them behind, Miku!  We can't just-"

"Their car is full of explosives!" she shouted, "We have to get away from it and over this bridge!"

Kaito watched the flames grow as Rin and Len's vehicle slowed its acceleration.  Either there was no driver… or the driver was _dead_.

The explosion from the car shook the bridge to its very foundations.  And due to the plane's incredibly close proximity to the exploding vehicle, it couldn't help but be thrown by it…

As Miku got the two of them over the bridge, it collapsed.  Kaito watched the pursuing plane crash dramatically into the wall of the gorge…

And with that last great explosion, they had no more pursuers.  The only thing left for them was the snow as Miku sped along the road and into the mountains…

'They're gone… they all… they all gave their lives… for me…'

Kaito sank deep into his seat.  His life had been saved… but at what terrible cost?

 

"Iroha, I must have a full report."

The orange haired girl practically purred with satisfaction, straightening out her ruffled pink and white maid's dress.  "General Tonio's raid on the Zellen Sea was a perfect success!" she said cheerfully, "The scouts that surveyed the aftermath reported hundreds of dead Loyalists!  And we found what was _left_ of the King and Queen."

Her boss sipped a glass of red wine and breathed a sigh of relief.  "And the Prince burned with them?" she said.

"W-w-well… we haven't found his body yet, but-"

Her cheerful report was cut off.  "Let me understand this – after Prince Kaito's _last_ disappearing act, you expect me to believe him dead for certain when we can't even locate a corpse?"

Iroha squeaked as she took the scolding.  "But-but-but Macne said nobody could have survived!  There was that explosion on the bridge, maybe that was him-"

"Maybe.  Could have."

Her boss scoffed at the words.  "Iroha.  _We_ leave nothing to chance.  The Shion house must be eliminated in full."

"Then… should I tell Prima to convince Tonio not to continue with the strike on Nordland?  It will be… _very_ … hard to get him to stop given his first taste of it…"

The boss groaned, setting the wine glass down.  She curled her hand under her chin as she rested her arm on the small table near her soft chair.  "No… we must take Nordland while we have the element of surprise.  We never located the Nordland spies, and we cannot leave that to chance."

The woman appeared lost in thought, but Iroha knew she was only plotting.  She'd held the Godmothers together for so long… at the moment of her triumph, she would not make a mistake.

"Have we gathered the Faerie Dust yet?"

"We have enough to deploy it either on the front or… or on the way through Westheim."

"Get it ready then," she said, "If the Prince is alive, he will try to rally anyone left.  We must eliminate his avenues of escape.  He won't go back to Jagenschatz… thus he will be heading through either the mountain passes… or the village of Sainte-Urbain."

She seemed satisfied with her planning.  "Have Prima make the arrangements to scatter it along Sainte-Urbain.  That will deprive him of an avenue of escape.  And start preparing from more drops along the way."

"Ah!  I see, because the effects linger for so long…"

"… he'll die on his way through once he's exposed."

Iroha clapped at her master's cunning.  "I'll send the telegrams right away!  Oh, it will be so wonderful to have the last of them dealt with!  It's just a shame we had to lose so many Cinderellas… Luka in particular was so valuable…"

"… if they're dead, it was their fate."

Her boss grasped at the wine glass again.  "Every one of them has a role to play.  Even to die.  We only had one destined to become a princess…"

Iroha watched the woman grasped at the stem of the glass so hard she feared it would bend and break under her grip.  "…but she denied her fate.  She never understood the value of her innocence.  Therefore, _she_ must be destroyed utterly.  Leave no stone unturned in locating her."

"Of course," Iroha said, bowing and smiling like a happy cat.

"It will be done, my lady."

 

"Dammit!  The tires can't get any grip!  Not with all this snow!"

The car's tires spun helplessly along the mountain road.  "Ah, maybe I can try and put some sand under them… Kaito, you wait, okay?"

He watched as Miku left the car and started digging around, looking for something, anything to try and keep their escape path clear.

And now he was alone all over again.  With only his thoughts.

'So many dead… what was the point of it?  They died because I still live…'

'Dex, Meiko, Gumi, Gakupo, Rin, Len… even… even Luka…'

His stomach churned at the thought.  He pressed open his car door unnoticed by Miku and started to trudge away in the snow, with little thought to the cold air whipping against him, the frozen snowflakes pressing against him.

He just kept walking up the road, his feet willing him forward as he couldn't release the terrible thoughts.  He'd watched his parents die… and he loathed how he still carried so much conflict in it.  Even as they plotted his murder for their insane plans, he still found himself mourning their death as he stepped further and further away, the car finally going out of sight as he rounded a bend on the mountain path.

He heard the crashing of water around him and he dragged his body forward, close to the cliff side.  He stared straight down, the height of the cliff almost making him dizzy, the sound of the waves smashing against the rocks unceasing.  He instinctually began to step away from it.

Then the weight of it all smashed into him and a wretched impulse began to take hold of him.  'There is no Shion family no besides me… if it were gone… would that not be better for the people?'

They wouldn't throw their lives away for just one man's symbolism.  They may fight for themselves.  Maybe they'd overthrow the Dawn without him serving as an obstacle to weaken them as they committed to yet another man planted on the Estmarch throne by blood and not by any other skill.

'I'm only standing in the way… if I'd died that night, as was my fate… it would all be over.  No Loyalists… no lost causes…'

He took a stride forward, his toes lining up against the edge of the cliff.  One more step and he would fall into oblivion.

'Miku, I'm… I'm sorry…' he thought to himself as he contemplated that last action…

But then an even more wretched thought entered his thoughts.  'If I disappear… what will _Miku_ do?'

Would she search the mountainside until she froze to death in the snow storm?

Would she fall off the mountain chasing his corpse?

_What would Miku do_?

If he died now… he could well take Miku with him.

'She… she doesn't deserve it… not Miku…'

And Kaito began to step back before he heard his name being called in a panic.  "Kaito!  Kaito, where are you?!"

She emerged around the bend, her eyes wide with fear.  She stared at him, then at the position of his feet.  "K… Kaito please…"

He backed away quickly at seeing her so upset.  "I… I was merely… curious about the height…" he stammered, trying to reassure her with a comforting lie.

Even as he did so, she didn't appear comforted.  "Kaito… I'm sorry for all you've lost…"

As if she were responsible for it.  He approached his Cinderella, and even with the tragedy tugging at him, he found himself drawn in once more by the sadness inside of Miku.  She didn't even move as he stepped up right in front of her…

… and placed his arms around her in a comforting hug.

She returned it at once, grasping at him like he were some wretched figment about to disappear into the winds.  "Miku…" he murmured, "I… I loathe this life I have.  This title is an obstacle to me, and a danger to those I love.  I wish… I wish I could throw it away."

He sounded so selfish as he spoke.

"Then do so.  As far as anyone knows, you're still dead."

He pulled back and stared into Miku's eyes with curiosity.  "You promised to…"

"I promised to take you to safety.  Westheim was your idea.  Because of your uncle.  If we keep on that path… you will still be a Prince of Estmarch.  You will be expected to become King… and unite a warring country."

And she pressed her head right into his chest.  "If that weight is now too much for you to bear… then we can go elsewhere.  We can escape Estmarch as two peasants.  We can escape… somewhere far from Uralia, where nobody knows you.  Where you aren't a Prince and I'm not Cinderella."

Did Miku still desire escape as well?  "Miku…" he whispered as he watched her eyes fill with tears while she held him.

"I can't even not be a Cinderella… not now… we could cross the ocean to Columbia… or we could take the great train into the Orient and hide ourselves within the Celestial Empire… I just… I can't…"

"I can't lose you.  Because I love you."

Upon hearing those words, Kaito traced his fingers along Miku's face, turning it gently towards his own.  "Miku, I love you too," he said softly.

And he leaned in and desperately kissed her.

The snowstorm that roared around him may as well have not even existed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HOLY CRAP AN ON TIME CHAPTER!  
> But really, this one flowed pretty quickly all things told. This is probably the chapter I've had the tightest planning on because so many elements had to come together at once.  
> I decided early on that this would be a reflection of the first chapter, which was told almost entirely from Miku's perspective, in which this time the entire chapter would be told from Kaito's perspective (save one scene.)
> 
> As for what happened to everyone else… you'll have to find out soon enough >=D
> 
> At least I finally let Kaito and Miku have that long-delayed kiss.
> 
> Of course this story would have to start integrating the aerial combat that defined World War I, especially the zepplelins that terrorized Great Britain. Given some of the events currently going on in the real world, I felt shaky approaching this chapter that I knew would end with bombs falling out of the sky, but in the end I pressed forward. They served as a new type of conflict for Kaito – one that he really can't win yet, only run away from.


	11. A Faraway Dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How does one move on from disaster? How does one survive their own past? How does one live with the cost of survival? How does one accept the reality of dreams?

The bombs exploded around him as Gakupo tried to keep up his pace behind Gumi.  The adrenaline powered his footsteps as his every other sense told him to stop running and do something for the those being claimed in the sea of death.

_There are people dying!_

_They need help!_

_You can't leave them!_

But leave them he was.  And not only was he leaving them, he was allowing Gumi to gun down anyone standing in their way.

"Come on!  There was a small jetty by the waterline!  We can steal a boat, we can get out of here!"

"I thought we were going to Westheim!" he shouted to his guardian.

"Eventually, we will, but not until Nordland is warned!  Meiko is… Meiko is…"

Gumi's speech cut off as several gunshots fired right in Gakupo's ear.  He hadn't even seen Luka raise her weapon and shoot behind him.  "You're the patient!  Please no shooting at the doctor!" he shouted back.

He wanted nothing more than to stop running to at least bandage her face.  Already he knew from how cognizant of her circumstances she was that the bullet hadn't pierced Luka's brain.  'It could have ricocheted off the bones in her cheek… but she's still going to lose a lot of blood…'

She looked so pale… he was worried, how much blood had she already lost before Kaito had found him?

"Too soft… you're still too soft…" she whispered, "That man would have thought nothing of shooting all three of us… didn't you want to be a combat medic?"

She was right – for all his pacifist tendencies, he'd been fine earlier in his life with stepping onto a battlefield.  How would he have handled the piling up of bodies?  What if someone ran at his hospital and he'd had to protect his patients, would he have the nerve now?

"No one… ever taught me to fire a gun…" he stammered.

"You point and shoot.  Simple."

"Get down, get down!  That damn zeppelin's right on top of us!" Gumi shouted.

He clutched Luka close to him as he leapt ahead – he could feel the explosion shaking everything behind him as it exploded.  He glanced around – Gumi hadn't hit the ground yet.  He looked back to Luka and grew concerned at her paling color – the blood loss was catching up to her, he needed to bandage her face!

"That one, come on, we're taking that one!"

He looked up at a small grey vessel that looked more like a tiny fishing trawler than a war boat, until he spotted the hastily mounted guns onboard.  More importantly, it looked to him like there was enough of an enclosed space to quickly clean Luka's wound.

"M…mother… it's burning…" Luka whispered.

"Burning?" Gakupo asked in confusion.  Was she going delirious from the blood loss?

"Our home is burning… where are you?"

"Luka, please!  It's me, it's Gakupo!  The soft idiot!" he shouted.

He and Gumi crossed onto the deck of the boat.  'Dammit, how long has it been?  Four weeks almost…'

Gumi dropped her gun and bolted for the controls, pressing the ignition as the boat's motor roared to life.  "Luka, what's your blood type?" he shouted to her as he laid her to the floor of the deck.  He had no luxury of a sterile environment this time.

"F-father… please come back… it's all burning…" she said.

"She's too delirious… ah… Gumi!  What's your blood type?!"

"What?!" the green haired girl shouted as she tried to get the vessel moving in the water, "Why do you need to know?!"

"Luka's lost too much blood, she'll die if she doesn't replace it!  Now what's your blood type?!"

"Ah… um… B?"

"Dammit!"

Gakupo pulled off his pack and started pulling out his medical supplies.  He pulled out the swabs and began trying to clean off her face, soaking up the excess blood… with incredible speed he had her face completely bandaged on the injured side.  "Okay… that'll stop any new bleeding… now… for what she lost…"

 'Should have waited eight weeks… to be truly safe… but… I can't just let the patient die.  I can't let a patient die!  Especially… especially not her…'

Living in a world surrounded by violence and death wasn't what he'd intended.  He'd arrogantly thought he'd found a way to live above it all, but maybe he was just hiding instead.  He and Rin, in that little clinic while the world burned around them… His rigid vow of pacifism an excuse to keep himself artificially pure while everyone around him risked themselves…

'Luka… I asked you to do this… you wouldn't have been in front of a sniper's bullet if I hadn't-!'

Luka's one remaining eye began to flutter closed as he slipped the needles into his skin.  "Gumi!  If I pass out, I need you to take this needle out and patch up my and Luka's arms!  Can you do that for me?!"

"What the hell, I have to drive the boat-"

"Promise me!" he commanded.

So shaken was the spy that the normally mild-mannered doctor was giving her orders, she complied, carefully driving the boat through the channel.  "I have to watch the rocks up here… I may not see it happen.  Gakupo, can you sing for me?  Just… sing a song and if you stop… I'll know if…"

"More than happy to oblige!" he said cheerfully.

The red line began to flow and he tried to recall a song he'd heard in a stage performance on a night off from school…

_"In the faint light, the toll of a bell resonates, I softly embrace your smile… The dusk we saw that day, the future we vowed each other… Hold strongly that love that seems to spill over!"_

He tried to keep his eyes trained on Luka, but he already felt the weakness spreading through him.  'I must endure…'

He tried to basically will his body to stay alive.

_"The tears that flowed in the frozen night are unnecessary now, because the morning is coming..."_

The haze took him as he heard the sounds of combat fading while the boat drifted into the open sea.

_"Soar higher like the birds dancing in… in…. in the heavens…"_

This was far greater than the desire for a nap.

_"C-c-c-crossing time, we now m-m-m-meet once more; it's…. a… Miracle of Life"_

He barely noticed when his head hit the deck and he lost consciousness…

 

Miku kept her pistol close as she and Kaito approached the cabin.  The snow has already gathered past her ankles, and she yearned for warmth as the darkening sky further inhibited their ability to navigate the mountain.  She leaned up against a window and peered inside.  “Nobody’s there…”  
  
She walked over to the door and gave the handle a try.  It was unlocked.  'Either it's abandoned… or the person who uses it doesn't expect guests.'

Stepping inside to more cold air, she was at least grateful that she and Kaito were out of the wind.  They'd been outside so long she thought she'd lost all feeling in her face, but fortunately she spied a small wood-burning stove inside.  She heard Kaito close the door behind her and lay down his pack from the car on the floor.

"Is there any kind of kindling?" he asked calmly.

Miku searched the small space – aside from a bed and a table, she saw two small logs and a small cabinet.  She rooted through it, turning up a small book of matches.  "This might get us through the night… if we have to stay here longer, we'll at least have light in the morning."

Without even being asked, she picked up one of the logs and set it in the stove just right.  Fortunately, it was dry.  She managed to light it quickly and for a moment she hovered close to the heat.

She remembered long nights seeking warmth in front of the embers and she clutched her coat closer.  More than anything, Miku feared the cold since those days, and the Godmothers knew… always trying to force her to "endure" but now she saw it for what it was – just one more attempt to break her.

Kaito sat on the bed, starting to remove his coat.  She gasped as she saw how the blood from his old wound had seeped through his shirt.  "Kaito, let me get you some bandages!" she said, leaping to her feet.

"I'm… I'm not in pain…" he muttered.

"But you can't get infected!  We don't have a doctor anymore… we…"

She stopped as she imagined the kind man she'd had to leave behind.  "He… He'll be upset with us both if we don't treat it well."

She hadn't actually _seen_ Gakupo die… even with the low chance of survival he had… well somehow she and Kaito had made it through.  Gakupo might yet live… and Gumi too… and… and…

She pulled out a little roll of bandages that he'd passed onto her.  As if he'd already predicted in advance that he might not be there the next time Kaito needed medical attention.  "I know it's cold, but just pull your shirt up and I'll bandage you up again."

Kaito silently did as told.  The dried blood on his side worried her, and she grabbed for a cloth to try and brush it away.  But another bit of good fortune greeted her – Kaito's stitches were still intact.  She finished wrapping the bandages and let him go.  Kaito let his shirt drop, and Miku winced at the sight of the blood.  "I think we have a clean shirt for you…" she said, "It won't be much though.  Whatever we could salvage."

He appeared lost in his thoughts.  But of course he was – after so much he'd lost in a single day.

Miku ruffled through the bags trying to find clean clothing before her hand bumped into her own precious artifact.  'Still intact,' she thought to herself, 'I must preserve it.'

She pulled out a fresh black shirt and handed it over to Kaito so he might change.  As he did so, she took another cursory glance through their supplies.  "We don't have a lot of food," she said.  She walked over to a small cabinet and opened it up, finding a small pot, some spoons, and stacked up cans of soup.  They barely had any dust on them – which meant this place hadn't been abandoned for long.  "Well, the owner of this cabin planned ahead!  There's plenty of soup in here.  We should take these with us, we don't know how long we'll be out there."

"I… I promise to do my part, Miku."

"I know you will."

She returned to the bags and began to take her weapons off – this far out she wouldn't need to be so heavily armed in the evening.  She looked her own pistol over and the first kill she'd ever made jumped into her consciousness.  She could still remember the man's face as it contorted in pain… the way his body crumpled as death took him…

She shot because she knew she had a fraction of a second before she was shot herself – and if she died, Kaito would die with her.

Even with that justification in her mind, it frightened her to know she'd finally crossed that line.  'Am I no better than the rest of them now?' she thought as she recalled her training, 'So many of people died today because of me…'

_Kaito_ had killed.  Was it because she'd pushed him over finally?  Or had the otherwise peaceful prince found enough motivation?

'The only one among us that refused to arm himself was… Gakupo…'

Even as they'd begged him to understand the depth of the mission.  That his life was just as much at stake as theirs.  Luka had called him a coward, and her words seemed to briefly wound him before he steeled up again – he was a doctor, he could _not_ end a life.

'But that also means… if he lives, he's the only one among us that won't have to grapple with this reality every day.'

Miku doubted she would ever forget that poor soldier's face.

She stopped fussing with the bags as her weary body began to work at her.  "I'm sure you're tired," she said to Kaito.

She turned to the bed and he was already laying down, facing the wall, his shoes lying on the floor.

She swallowed nervously.  Even after the kiss in the mountains, the passionate words… she still felt nervous trying to approach him as an equal.

As her _lover_.

She pulled off her shoes and walked over to the bed, trying to stay calm even as her nerves piled up.  She sat down on the mattress, waiting to see if he would say anything to stop her.  He didn't seem to move.

She reached out her hand and lightly stroked his shoulder.  Wanting to somehow force out the pain he still carried inside of him.  She wished she could think of the right words, but Miku had never been in love… she didn't know _what_ she was to say to him…

Slowly, Kaito raised his hand up and touched hers.  "I should be glad that… that they're gone…" he said so quietly, "That every evil they've committed is avenged… but… I… I can't stop myself from mourning them… from wanting a better end to it all… from wishing somehow… they weren't really… that they…"

His voice began to break and Miku slipped closer to him, lying down at his side and embracing him from behind.  "Kaito, you loved them.  You can mourn losing something you loved even after everything that's happened."

She felt his hands fold over her arms and grip them tightly, like he needed Miku's embrace just to hold himself together.  "From today forth… I'm no longer a Prince…" he vowed, "I'll never wear that cursed mantle again…"

He rolled over on the bed slightly, just enough that he could look into her eyes.  "From now on… all I want to do is live for you."

Miku's heart pounded so hard, was this what love was really supposed to feel like?  This thing stolen away from her, this forbidden emotion, sparking every one of her nerves as he slipped his arms around her and she crawled up to him…

The two of them kissed, and Miku realized she'd never felt happier than in this moment… as though every one of their wretched days melted away from the strength of this kiss, this embrace, the warmth of their bodies together…

She never wanted it to stop…

 

Meiko tried to balance the white-haired man draped over her shoulders as his breathing grew ever more shallow as they trudged through the snowy gorge.  "I only thought Nordland got snow this lousy," she cracked, watching Dex's tired eyes as she kept moving him forward.

'Gumi left on the boat… she's alive… that's all that matters…'

Blood soaked his shirt from the bullet wound he'd taken.  Meiko had tried her best to patch it up, but she wasn't a doctor.  From the way he was having trouble moving, she suspected the injury was far worse than it looked.  Right now her best hope was to at least get him out of the cold – he'd told her of a passage through the gorge that would be out of the snow, used by the Loyalists for covert scouting operations.  Even though she was wearing warm clothing, the relentless snow wasn't helping.

She finally spied the opening in the canyon wall.  "See!  There's your cavern!  Now let's get out of this rotten weather and light a fire, eh?

She tried to keep his spirits up.  It was all she had.

As the two walked through the cavern, Dex's strength seemed to flag and Meiko almost fell over as she suddenly felt all of his weight against her at once.  "Okay, you need to rest?  Not a bad plan!" she said.

She set Dex down along the wall, throwing her small backpack on the ground and pulling out the only blanket she had, wrapping him up in it.  "Just stay comfortable, I'll get a fire going."

She wandered around and gathered up whatever scraps of debris or withered plants she could find that looked like it could burn.  Pulling out a match in her pack, her hands touched the matches and she felt relief they were still dry.  She lit the small pile and relaxed a little as the warmth began to take her.  "Daina…"

Meiko perked up at hearing Dex finally speaking.  "I'm… I'm never going to see… Daina…"

"Yes you will.  You'll go to Westheim with us.  You'll find what's left."

She wanted to reassure him, even as she began to accept that he knew as well as she did that his time was limited.  She scooted over closer to him – he didn't deserve to be alone now.

"I… let them… talk me into… horrible crimes… I shouldn't ever touch her again…"

Meiko didn't know what he was talking about, just the news about the Loyalists' violent attacks on civilian installations.  She guessed he might have been behind at least one of them.

But he was dying right now because he'd used his own body to shield her from the bullets of an attacker he'd killed in the same instant.  And then Meiko had hid under his body, playing dead, as the last of the planes swept over to find any survivors.  Only once the buzzing from the engines died down did she dare move on, trying to stay out of sight of the newcomers with Emerald Dawn's uniforms.  Hence the sidetrip through the gorge.  It's not as if she had much choice, the bridge had been blown up.  The most direct route was gone.

At the time she thought it a great lark that Dex had managed to use his "non-lethal" injuries to fake his death.  But that was before he started having trouble walking.  Before he seemed to be losing awareness of his surroundings.  Before the breathing problems started.

"This might be a bit disrespectful, but the way I see it… those bastards got was coming to them.  So don't beat yourself up over it."

Dex didn't smile, though he made a rough coughing sound like he was trying to laugh.  "They… they… they only wanted to kill their son after all this time… I don't even know why… but… this is right.  I took all those lives, I go out saving one…"

"No, you're not going to die!"

"T-take… the ring… give it to her… so she knows…"

"Some kind of engagement ring?  A family heirloom?"

When Dex didn't answer, Meiko looked into his face and saw his eyes staring straight ahead like glass, unblinking.  She pressed two fingers along his neck, seeking a pulse or signs of breathing.

None.

"Dammit… whatever you they made you do… you didn't deserve to go like that…"

She wiped a few tears from her eyes as she pondered the unfairness of it all.  The King and Queen of Estmarch were dead, but it didn't save this man's life.  She barely knew his name before he joined her in a suicide mission to save the life of the Prince of a nation that was enemy to her own.

Did he even know who she was before he died?  Heard her songs on a record or over the radio?  What of the people she’d killed?  Did they wonder if the woman shooting at them was the same glamorous singer who wanted to fill their hearts with love?

When her country asked her to be a spy, she had no illusions that it might not involve her taking lives or giving her own.  She’d been trained to kill straw targets, knowing some day they could be real people.

But until today… she hadn't really had to commit to that.  Could she ever step out onto a stage again with so much death on her hands?

She picked up Dex’s lifeless arm and pried off a small silver band on his right hand.  "I… I hope this is the right one…" she murmured, "I can't give you a burial here… but I'll make sure they know where to find you."

A simple inscription was carved into the inside of the ring.  “To my wolf. Love, Diana.”

She briefly rifled through his coat.  Left alone with the corpse of a man that would never see the person he loved again, she tried to beat back the fears that the woman _she_ loved would never return to her either.  She pulled out a few personal more bullets, his pistol, and a pocket watch bearing what looked like a noble house's crest.  She put them with her own things, then checked his coat one more time to ensure she had everything she would need.  It felt sick and wrong to be taking his things, but with him gone… anything he had to increase her chances of survival would be necessary.

Once she confirmed to herself that Dex no longer possessed anything she needed for herself, she pulled the blanket away from him, slipped off his coat, and draped it over him like a funeral shroud.

Moving away from him and closer to her makeshift fire, Meiko placed the blanket back inside the bag.  She only wanted to stay here long enough to warm up… then keep moving.  Reaching into her own red coat, she pulled out a cigarette and lit it up.

Dex was gone.  She was alive.  It wasn't right or fair, she thought, but it _was_ the state of things.

'I'll find him… I'll make sure he lives… because the last thing Uralia needs is any more maniacs like them  in charge of so much as a pasture let alone an empire.'

She just wanted a peaceful life with Gumi.  If she had to go so far as to plant someone on the throne of a foreign empire to make that happen, then so be it.

She huddled close, trying to soak in the warmth and ignore the corpse next to her.  She wished Gumi was with her, someone to hold and comfort her when she needed it the most…

 

The steady churning of the boat engine and the dull throbbing in her face lulled Luka back out of unconsciousness.  The next sensation was the strong smell of mold and rust.  She tried to open her eyes, but she could only manage opening one of them.  Trying to take in her surroundings, she realized she'd been placed on a rickety bunkbed that was bolted to the wall, the filthy sheets and her thick black coat the only defense she had from the cold.  She touched a hand to her face and felt the bandages along one side.  Further observation showed the early dawn light from outside of a porthole.

She could make out another metallic bunk across from her with someone sleeping in it… someone with purple hair…

'Is he… asleep?'

That seemed strange for the doctor to slumber through caring for a patient.  In the haze before she'd assumed she died, she could recall him singing to her.  She'd grasped onto the melody to try and give her the strength not to die, but eventually her body had grown too weak.

But what had happened to Gakupo?

'He sang for me… no, he was doing something else… I remember… a needle in my arm?  Wait, was he giving me his own blood!?'

She tried to stand up, and almost fell over – she thought she'd grabbed for the side of the bed, but her hand misjudged the distance.  Gingerly, she took another attempt, finally getting a grip on one of the rickety metal bars and standing up once more.  That was when the dizziness hit her and she held onto the bar for dear life.

Eventually the wave passed and Luka made one more valiant attempt to walk across the floor.  This time she managed to stay upright and she hobbled over to the bed to check on her doctor.  When she wandered closer, she gasped at seeing how pale he'd become.  "You… you idiot, how much blood did you give me?!"

Even though Luka had made _no_ attempt to modulate her voice, the doctor didn't seem to wake up from it.  She leaned down and touched her fingertips to his wrist to check for a pulse.  Once she found it, she felt some relief – he hadn't died for her.

She sat down on the side of his bed, trying to take everything in.  In one fell swoop, what little she'd lived for had disappeared.  She'd dedicated so much of her life to revenge that it felt cruel to lose it to someone who didn't even understand why they had to die.  She'd lost her last purpose in still being alive…

'Where does that leave me?  What do I have left?'

She watched Gakupo sleeping for a few more moments.

"You idiot, you almost died for me, didn't you?" she whispered, "Why would anyone do that?   My life… isn't worth that much…"

She heard footsteps from the upper deck and saw the green-haired spy walking down.  What was her name… Gummy?  No, Gumi.  She noticed Luka on Gakupo's bed and acknowledged her with a small tilt of her head.  "How long have we been out?" Luka asked.

"Most of a day."

She looked over to the sleeping doctor.  "I don't get him… I told him not to do that!  That he'd just die and we'd have two corpses!  But he didn't listen.  What a reckless man."

Gumi brusquely handed Luka a small canteen.  "Driving a boat in a snowstorm is no small task, but it did give us some fresh water."

She gulped the water down greedily, as if she'd barely been aware of hunger or thirst until after she awoke.  "Do we have any food?" Luka asked as she set the canteen down.

"Smoked meat.  That's it.  "

"Then I'll take it."

She'd survived on worse.

Gumi left for the upper deck where Luka guessed the food was and she was alone again.

"…not…. less…"

"Eh?"

She thought she heard someone speaking and she glanced down to see Gakupo straining to keep his eyes open.  "I… I said… you're… not… worthless…"

It sounded like every word he was uttering took all of his strength to form.  Then she realized he'd heard her talking out loud and she looked away in embarrassment.  "You should have told me you were awake," she huffed.

"I was trying to…" he said, and she heard a weak laugh, "It just took some time."

She shuffled along the bed.  "She was right though.  You shouldn't have risked it.  If there's an emergency now and you're too sick to pick up a surgical knife, Gumi could die too."

It only made sense to her to leave the weaker people behind.  Especially someone that was as good as dead.

Someone that had betrayed him time and again.

Someone that couldn't be trusted.

Someone without use.

"I couldn't… let one more person die… when I already changed their fate…"

"Fate…"

Now he was using the word she'd been obsessing over.  "I told you to fight for him… to enter a battlefield… and I stayed behind… like a coward…"

That was what she'd called him before the battle had begun.  A coward.  Even as he tried to protect her while they fled the field of combat, he wouldn't shoot or take lives.  His soul was clean – unlike her own.

She passed him the canteen, still half full of water.  "I don't know enough about treating blood loss," Luka said quietly, "But you need water.  And food.  Do you have enough strength to hold this?"

She watched his hand begin to shake as he tried to lift it up.  "Okay.  I'll give it to you.  Don't get used to being pampered though, it's only because you're injured."

His hand rested at his side as Luka gently tipped the canteen into his mouth, watching carefully for any signs that he was choking or unable to swallow.  But he managed to drain what was left of the water with little trouble.  She took the canteen back from him.  He did look a little better now that he'd hydrated, but she suspected he'd need more than that.

"Gumi's bringing back some smoked meat.  You'll want to eat some.  You need the iron in it to replace the blood you lost."

"Heh… I'm truly lucky…to have such an attentive nurse…"

That was when Luka finally realized that under her black coat she was _still_ wearing her Crimson Shield nurses' uniform.  "I… I did actually know a little bit of medicine before posing as a nurse… none of our patients were truly in danger, you know."

But she knew about it only with the intent to treat her own wounds as a Cendrillon.

Instead she'd saved other people's lives.

This was her dichotomy, wasn't it?  What he'd tried to point out to her when she'd turned against him.

Then this would be a test for her.

She would make sure he survived the sacrifice he'd made for her.

If she could do that… well, then maybe she deserved a chance to live.

 

The chilly morning and thick snow on the ground made Kaito regret leaving the warm cabin behind, but he and Miku had little choice.  The storm had finished, and they had to take advantage of the visibility to press through the mountains.  Miku had retrieved a few valuables from their last stop – a journal recording the observations made of enemy movements in the mountains, as well as a map of the mountain paths they were traversing through.  He was leaving the navigation to her – she seemed quite comfortable using a compass to plot their way forward.

As happy as he was with the idea of running away from being the Prince, of letting that persona stay officially dead and buried, they'd had to confront the reality that their only safe path was still in the direction of Westheim.  The only safe border passage for them due to the nation's official neutrality.  He would have to cross into the country his beloved uncle lived in and hide from his sight, allowing the poor man to believe his beloved nephew to be dead…

'I'm sorry, Uncle Naoto.  If there was another way…'

But he still knew in his heart this path was correct.  He wasn't the leader so many had died for – he didn't deserve their respect or praise.  Nor did his family have any right to lead.  No, the people of Estmarch could surely find someone amongst their own people to take the lead.

'No!  Why am I still thinking of this business?  I should be thinking of the future.'

He and Miku had fallen asleep talking dreamily of faraway places he'd never seen, trying to come up with the one they thought would give them the best chance to start over.  If he didn't mind crossing a massive ocean, he would be nearly anonymous in the Union of Columbia.  While no doubt they would be aware of the news of yet another war, the vast distance between the continents would render it merely another piece of foreign news they needn't concern themselves with.

The idea of sailing across an ocean fascinated him – so much water all around him… maybe he'd learn to swim before they set sail…

"Miku, when we reach our final destination, we will need some form of employment to survive, won't we?" he asked.

"That's usually how this works," she said in a joking tone, "Nobody gives out free room and board to complete strangers!"

"Ah, what a shame I wasted my life learning court manners instead of a _useful_ trade!" he said, "I can shoot, cook, and play the piano.  Maybe I should just be a cook?"

"Well your meals in the Rhune were more than passable, I'm sure there'd be work for you!"

Miku lowered her head and pulled out the map, tapping a place on it and putting it away.  "What will you do in Columbia?" he asked.

"I know a lot of things that… ah… I'd rather not be doing again…" she said awkwardly, "Oh, but I can clean and cook.  Maybe I could be a housekeeper again."

He tried to imagine Miku as a child, like she'd told him, huddling in the ashes after working to exhaustion.  "I'd hate for you to have to live like that again…" he said sadly.

"It wouldn't be the same!" she said in a hurry, "I'd be working for a living after all!  Getting paid, so I could keeping spending my life with the person I love.  A simple life… but a happy one."

She was so much more open with him now that they'd been honest about their feelings.  She had no more secrets with him – was her grappling with her feelings one of the reasons she'd been so silent before?

Or was she worried about confessing her love to a _prince_?

'All the better for me to get rid of it then.  I can't be a real prince to anyone, and I'd rather not have an obstacle like that keeping me away from her.'

What did being a prince ever truly mean anyway?  He'd had so many ideals in his mind, all of them shaped by his parents.  Giving faith to the downhearted, strength to the weak, comfort to the lonely.  But what had he amounted to?  An idol that could be toppled to allow further evils to seep into the kingdom and tear it apart.

'No… to live with Miku, to become a simple man, I must banish these unpleasant memories.  Cast them aside and live freely.'

He tried to banish the vice around closing around his heart as the last memories he had of his parents alive tried to claw at him.  He tried to block out their beliefs that the kingdom would be better off without him.

'That's… that's why I'm leaving!  I don't need to give up my life so long as I give up my throne…'

A low rumble sounded out in the hills and Miku's hand shot out in front of him.  After a few tense moments, she removed her hand.  "We need to be careful… if any of that snow is unstable…"

"… an avalanche?"

"Exactly."

She scanned out over the mountain paths.  "I… I have to admit I don't know much about this… I was taught survival in cities, not… not this…"

"It's okay Miku.  We'll make it."

"Our goal tonight is the cave marked on this map… I don't know what we'll find there, but it will at _least_ be some kind of shelter."

A cave would be a step down even from the worn-down cottage, but better that then being out in the snow.

But as they marched forward, he still couldn't banish the dreadful events of the day before as they kept trying to pull him back, to that moment on the side of the cliff, to the second he considered jumping and vanishing into an abyss…

'Why?  Why can't I let it go… and just be happy with Miku?'

 

The sound of the buzzing of air planes above caused Luka to pause as she sat with Gakupo.  She knew it didn't matter _who_ possessed the planes - be they Estmarch or Nordlandian, they would still consider this rogue boat an enemy.  She heard Gumi throttle down the motor and her stomping feet up above as she was no doubt putting out the lights on the boat.

After a few tense moments, the engines ceased and Luka was not greeted by the sounds of bullets.  'Good.  I'm not confident I could hit a target right now.'

The world felt as though it had an odd flatness to it now.  A curiosity overcame her and she looked around the room for some kind of mirror.  She found a rusty, ruddy one hanging from one of the walls, over a small bucket.  'Maybe the person who used to own this vessel took to shaving in that,' she thought to herself.

She gripped the bed and pushed herself up with care, but now she had a better idea of how her uncovered eye would perceive the distance ahead of her.  She kept one arm out to guide herself along the bed frame as she walked over to the mirror, but finally released it as she approached it closely.

Her hands found the ends of the bandages on her head and slowly she unwove them, being careful to not lose them to the floor and possibly infect them. 

When she first saw her face, she was somewhat relieved – aside from the obvious emptiness in her eye socket, the rest of her face wasn’t too badly damaged.  A good-sized eye patch would cover the worst of it.

'So… I'd better get used to it,' she thought to herself, 'He couldn't save my other eye.  I'll have to learn to shoot all over again.  What a bother.'

But why did she need to shoot?  To kill?

'Because that's all I've ever done.'

"It was a pity I couldn't do more for your vision," she heard Gakupo comment, "But I can assure you, you're still a lovely young lady."

Quickly Luka tied up the bandages again – how was it he always found her in her moments of pure weakness?!

"You could start letting me know when you're awake," Luka said curtly, "At least then I could get you some water."

She walked over to the table and tried to reach for the canteen, cursing when her fingers slipped passed it.  She finally placed her hand on the table, giving her a point of reference as she reached out for it a second time.  Her fingers curled around the canteen and she felt a little bit clever at having worked this out.

Walking back over to Gakupo's bed, she sat down as she felt a familiar wave of dizziness sweep through her.  She _too_ had lost blood, but unlike her new "patient", she'd gotten some of it back.  She held the canteen up to Gakupo.  "Do you think you can hold it or do you need me to do it?"

His hands still shook as he tried to reach up for it.  She sighed and gently pressed them back down, holding the canteen up to his lips.  "You'll get there.  One step at a time."

When he seemed done, she pulled it away and screwed the cap closed.  She hoped there was more water to be had soon… they were still on the ocean as far as she knew.

"Where is Gumi taking us?" he asked quietly.

"She's trying to get far enough out on the ocean to intercept Nordland communications – she thinks she knows how to get onto their channels.  From what she's been picking up on the Estmarch radio channels, General Tonio is planning on an aerial assault."

She let out a long sigh.  "Two tyrants die… another springs up.  Both of them with the same goals.  What was the point of the actions we've taken?"

Her fingers traced along the bandages on her face.

"He's still alive…"

The doctor had a point.  For all the powerful enemies Kaito had… he'd survived them so far.  So she hoped – as far as she knew he'd properly escaped and was still bound for Westheim, with Miku, Rin, and Len to escort him.

Though Luka's focus for now was only on Gakupo, something stirred inside of her at that knowledge.  The two people who'd destroyed her life were dead, and they'd died because they couldn't allow their own son to live.  Because somehow they feared him.

"Even you understood that the Prince was an obstacle."

"Because he isn't like them…" Gakupo said, "Even after shooting his way out of the castle, he still won't murder out of spite and hate.  He believes in justice.  In saving lives, kingdoms, hearts."

She thought to her own former masters, the Godmothers.  The people who took broken girls and reshaped them around their losses.  Tried to tear their hearts out until they had no recourse but to become empty tools.

Like her.

They would hate him.

He gave strength to the weak, faith to the hopeless, comfort to the lonely, asking nothing in return.  He was the very anti-thesis of them.

She couldn't kill him because the humanity he showed to her briefly illuminated the shattered remnants of herself.  The heart and soul and dreams she thought had burned up and been discarded in the ashes of her home.

"Then I've no doubt in my mind I'll have to deal with the Godmothers again.  Not just because of their oaths… but because the Grand Godmother cannot risk his survival.  Stopping the assault on Nordland will not win this war."

"Grand Godmother?"

She clenched at the blankets under her fists.  "Nobody knows her identity.  Most of the Cendrillons don't even know she exists because she has so many intermediaries to give her orders to them.  But I rose up… she seemed to favor me.  They would call me the 'true Cinderella'.  Until we got Miku… the girl sheltered from the hunt."

The first time she'd met Miku she'd tried to stay unemotional as her training had taught her.  But Luka was still a teenager, and Miku was barely an adolescent.  She'd known something was changing.  She'd silently raged at knowing her status was slipping, even as she was one of the few Cendrillons lucky enough to speak directly with Iroha herself and gain further insight.

"They were always grooming Miku for some special purpose… maybe they'd always planned on killing the Prince when the time was right.  Keeping her hidden away so there was no chance of her being recognized, then slipping her in when the time was right and using her innocence as a trap.  But Miku… was never truly broken.  She was… stronger than I.  She helped her target escape… I never gave any of mine a second thought…"

She felt Gakupo's weak hand grasp her own.  She tore it away.  "Stop showing me pity!" she hissed, "These are hands coated in blood!  Do you know how many I destroyed to keep my place!?"

She folded her hands together, her blue-tipped fingers interlocking with each other.  "How... how do you keep that vow?  To do no harm?  Even when it's always being tested?  Even when-!"

She heard the boat motor suddenly throttle forward and she already knew what was happening.  She became aware of another vessel's motor and knew it was a pursuit.  She tried told bolt up, fighting the new wave of dizziness from the sudden action, and jumped into action.  She put her hands out and touched the door of a cabinet, yanking it open and looking for something to defend herself with.  There were just two pistols inside.  She checked the chamber and found both of them loaded.  She walked over to Gakupo and rested one of them near his hand.  "In case… in case you need it…" she said.

She grabbed for a stair railing and headed back up on deck.  "Gumi!  What's the situation?" she called out.

"That boat behind us is flying a Dawn flag!  They damn well know we're not on their side!"

The sound of gunfire on the boat caused the green-haired girl to duck down.  "We have to take them out, if they shoot the engines, we're done for!"

"Fine… then let them catch us."

"WHAT?!"

Gumi looked her over with suspicion.  "You… you're not going to turn us in, are you?!  Save your skin by trading prisoners?!"

"Of course not!" Luka shouted.

Cynically, she added "Even if I were that sort… it wouldn't do any good.  I'm a fleeing Cendrillon, I'm worth even less than you.  But they're more suited for pursuit, and they're better armed.  We're better off if we can disarm the people on that vessel."

"Oh… knock em' out and take it.  I get it."

Gumi loaded her gun.  "I'll pick them off when I see them…"

Luka swallowed.  Yes, it would be easier but… she needed to be better now…

"Let's take them alive."

The spy looked shocked.  "What do you expect to get out of that?!"

"Intelligence for one – you've only been relying on the radios.  Nordland isn't coming out this far, and you still need a way to warn them."

"Do you think they'll talk?"

"It depends on who they are."

Gumi seemed to accept Luka's planning and after the next wave of gunfire she let up on the boat's acceleration, allowing it to drift in the water.  She and Luka held their breath as the sound of a slightly bigger vessel and churning waves slightly rocked the unmoored vessel.  The chatter Luka heard surprised her – it was Sudlandian.  "What are they saying?" Gumi whispered.

"It sounds like… two of them?  Yes.  Two young men.  They're going to search the boat to find out who was on it.  And I think that's the whole crew…"

Gumi curled up inside the wall near the deck, trying to stay out of sight as she crawled into a corner.  Luka did the same, listening for footsteps on the deck as she slipped under a table.

The first person to step inside was a young blonde man.  He couldn't be older than 15, and his voice sounded so sweet.  " _I'm in the cabin!_ " he shouted in his own language, " _Kyo, help me secure it!"_

A tall, thin young man followed and again Luka was struck by his youth.  She nodded to Gumi and just as the blonde caught her eye under the table, Gumi had already sprung up from her hiding place and slammed the butt of her gun at the back of his head.  The blow seemed to stun him, causing him to drop his gun.  _"Dammit!  Yuu!"_ he shouted as Gumi jumped onto his back, pinning his hands in place.

Luka was next, crawling out from under the desk and tripping the other blonde with a quick sweep of her leg… or she would but she missed the blow again.

" _Merde_!" she swore, leaping up and diving at him with her fists out.

The first few blows missed, but clearly having such a ferocious opponent was setting him off balance as he tried to get his gun out.  She knew this type – a soldier not by choice, someone who had a gun dropped in his hand and was told where to shoot.  She finally managed to work out how far away he was and with one kick sent his gun flying… with the second she sent _him_ flying.  She didn't have to work out how far the wall was before she was on him.

"Have some spare rope!" Gumi shouted, "I'm done with mine."

Luka caught the rope and quickly had her target's arms bound up behind his back.

"Loyalist dogs!" Kyo shouted at her, "Why don't you shoot us down like your masters?!"

"We're not Loyalists.  And we're not pointless murderers either-"

The sound of a gunshot from below deck made Luka stop.  She threw Kyo to the ground as she stumbled across the deck.  She reached for the stair railing and grabbed it for dear life lest she go tumbling down deck.  There must have been another person, of course there was another person, they wouldn't send out an armed vessel with only a gunner and a driver-

"Gakupo!" she cried out in a panic.

She saw an unconscious youth with black hair lying on the floor.  Gakupo was sitting up, the still smoking pistol in his hand.

"No… you didn't…" she whispered.

The gun fell as Gakupo slipped.  Luka rushed down the steps to his side.  "Are you okay?  Did he shoot you?"

"Heh… I pulled the blanket over my head so I'd look like a corpse…" he said.  He tried smiling, but he looked downright goofy if he thought that was supposed to be charming.  "Don't worry, I'm still an honest doctor… I mean, I didn't kill him, though I suppose…"

He gestured to something else on the floor and Luka realized it was an unlit lantern from the ceiling.  "…I didn't exactly abide by 'do no harm.'"

She heard the young man groan.  She grabbed for the chain from the fallen lantern, where she could see where Gakupo's bullet had severed it.  "I thought you'd never fired a gun!" she remarked as she wrapped the chain around the man's wrists.

"You said it yourself – it's just point and shoot."

 

The fading sunlight worried Miku – she was certain they were still on the right path, the map had been correct so far!  But as fresh snow began to fall, she was losing track of some of the landmarks.  "Don't worry Kaito… I'm certain it's not much farther…"

She hated the chill setting in as the temperature kept dropping.  She hated the feeling of being powerless, of her body trying to convince her to sleep in the snow.  But she found the strength to keep pressing forward because if she didn't, she _and_ Kaito would die.

She glanced back and Kaito's solemn expression worried her.  His mood had been uneven all day – sometimes he would be happy and talkative… other times he would seem about to collapse into himself.  The conflict in his heart had yet to cease.  The evils committed against him still tried to tear him to pieces.

She looked ahead at the walls then again at the map… and she finally got a bit of hope in her.  "Kaito, I think that's it!  I recognize the mountain walls!"

She beckoned him to follow her forward and the two climbers began to approach the mountains when a far off rumble set Miku's heart racing.  "Kaito, grab something!" she shouted.

The first thing she noticed was the snow shifting under her feet.  She reached out and grabbed Kaito's hand while hanging onto a tree.

Then the wave of snow hit her and the tree slipped out of her grasp as she couldn't hold both Kaito and a tree.  The two of them began to tumble and she saw the edge of a cliff.  She held onto Kaito's hand as tightly as she could and reached for a stronger tree…

"Kaito!  Don't let go!" she warned him.

"Miku!" he shouted, "Just let go!  Please… I can't let anyone else die for me… my life isn't worth that much!"

Miku kept her grip tight on Kaito's hand lest he try and release her of his own volition.  The snow eventually stopped sliding… and Kaito was still on her hand.  They hadn't gone tumbling over.  She'd managed to save them both.

With the danger past, she kept her grip on Kaito as she helped him to stand.  She tried to get him to look at her but he wouldn't meet her eyes.  She touched a gloved hand to his face in worry.  "We're both alive."

"I… I know…"

As they marched the last part of their journey, entering the simple cave, Miku spied two bed rolls on the ground and a small fire pit with a small soup pot hanging over it. She was starting to understand the point of this.  "Someone is using the caves and cabins to spy.  We'd better be alert if we catch up to them."

She set down her things, preparing to set up the camp, before Kaito tapped her shoulder.  "No.  You've done everything today.  Let me."

Miku took out the soup cans and the bowls as Kaito prepared the fire.  She poured the condensed soup into the pot, still insisting on doing something as the flames began to kick up.  She took a seat on top of a bedroll and waited until Kaito sat down next to her.

After a few moments of silence, she finally decided she couldn't let Kaito's panicked declaration pass.  "Your life means everything… to a lot of people.  Not just to me."

He winced.  "I don't understand why.  I've done nothing of use as a Prince.  But so many put their faith in me… or in my demise."

"Because… because you inspire them.  You inspire _us_.  You make us want to become better.  To reach past what we've been told to be, to give ourselves meaning."

"You've almost died for me countless times.  Is that the meaning you want?"

When the journey began, Miku _did_ yearn for death in Kaito's name, to absolve her of guilt.  "I want my life to matter."

How much she'd loved planning with Kaito to live across the ocean, in a faraway land, pretending to be two normal people in love building a life together.  But deep in her heart, she knew this wasn't what _should_ be.  No matter how badly she wanted it.

And she knew deep in her heart… that Kaito didn't want it either.

"It's not just me.  Kaito, when you left with the Loyalists, I was prepared to go on a suicide mission if I had to.  I didn't want your parents to win.  I didn't want their wickedness to consume you the way it consumed everyone else.  I told the others… that… none of them had to come.  What the stakes could be."

"Every one of them wanted to help you.  A slum doctor, a broken nurse, an underworld criminal, two enemy spies, and a traitorous assassin.  Every one of them thought you were worth fighting for."

She felt Kaito's hand over hers and she leaned into him.  "And it was a terrorist who threw open the gates so we could save you from execution."

"Did they truly believe that deeply in the son of monsters?" he asked.

"Every one.  Including a woman who lived every moment of her life dreaming of destroying you.  You talked her out of that.  You… you freed her."

Kaito was silent for a few more moments.  Finally she felt his hand over hers and he finally turned to meet her eyes.  "Miku… every moment I keep trying to think only of you… I.. I can't do it.  I can't just running away from it.  I want to live just for you but… even if I'm a terrible Prince… I'm the only one left."

This was the Kaito she knew.  "I don't know how I'll accomplish this but… if they did all die for me, I… I have to make it count.  I have to make it to Westheim, I have to set Estmarch free.  I have to end the war!"

She pulled off her gloves and stroked his face lightly.  "I know.  I always knew."

Something about the peace in his face suggested Kaito was letting go of a burden, even as he placed another onto his shoulders.  "Wasn't it you who suggested we run?"

And in that moment, Miku had meant it.  She only wanted for Kaito to be happy, and she wanted to be happy _with_ him.

But…

"In that moment… you needed to hear that you had a choice.  So when you chose justice… when you _chose_ to be a Prince… it was because you wanted it.  Not because your life was bound to fate."

As Kaito leaned in to kiss her, Miku felt a few tears escape as she bade goodbye to that simple future in her heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N:**  
>    
>  LOL, I'm not even going to apologize for the delays anymore, y'all just expect them, right?  I hit a part of Cendrillon that I realized was a little less well defined and it took longer to sort out how to get from the last chapter's major event into what I consider the "final act" of the story.  Also I yet again have split the cast, which I swear won't be happening so much in the next story I do (yes I'm planning out the next one!)
> 
> Yep.  We're on the home stretch.  Though I suppose "home stretch" is a bit vague because I'm not entirely secure on announcing a chapter count (though hopefully I don't run out of song lyric titles before then!)
> 
> So I did try to look into the medical state of things like Luka's injury to work out how she could take a shot to the face and not die, and yes, if the bullet deflected off her bone, it would mess her face up and take the eye with it, but it wouldn't insta-kill her as long as her brain was left intact.  Now Gakupo I am definitely winging here, it hasn't been nearly enough time for him to give blood again, but I consider it somewhat plausible given how _well_ he was doing running around on trains and such a mere day after giving a pint to Kaito ;)
> 
> As I lamented on DeviantArt, what I planned to be a more Gakupo-centric arc seems to have switched into a Luka arc, which is atypical for me.  On the other hand, I always knew Gakupo was destined to have a "slow burn" and his key conflicts would inevitably not come into play until he had to actually have his morals tested.  Luka meanwhile is a huge ball of conflict, so she's always moving from one to the next.
> 
> **Song Credits:** Uh, so I forgot to do this last chapter, and I can't believe I forgot this, but Kaito was singing "[Flower Tail](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGbIjs9SIE8)" by yuukiss in the flashback with his grandmother!  As for _this_ chapter, Gakupo was singing "[Miracle of Life](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuOsl-M-rgE)" by ROY, and the translation was done by Gakupo Goddess Narumo.  So happy birthday Gakupo, it seems I'm celebrating a lot of Vocaloid birthdays this year by inflicting near-death injuries onto them.
> 
> **Art Credit:** The image used for this chapter is by [himi ](https://www.pixiv.net/member.php?id=162317)on Pixiv (though the image was pulled from [Zerochan](http://www.zerochan.net/677592).  It's no longer on her gallery.)


	12. Chapter 12: Knight and Princess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The city of Saint-Urbain is the destination of several people trying to escape Estmarch and the Emerald Dawn's reach. But a terrible disaster is about to befall it, threatening the lives of a prince, a Cinderella, and a knight and princess...

A small pickup truck with a makeshift cloth cover trudged along through the snowy road, filled with people crammed so tightly together the cold air almost didn't impact them.  The little truck tottered along, clearly not suited for its precious cargo.  But everyone on board had no other choice.  They had to flee west, escape the war, escape the destruction, escape the hopelessness.

Even if there was still the chance Westheim wouldn't allow them through… they had to try.

The next stop was Saint-Urbain.  A bustling village only hours away from the Westheim border by car.  Not an industrial powerhouse, but its vital import to international trade kept it alive even after Estmarch began to carve up the remains of Sudland for itself.

In the back of the truck sat two teenagers, nearly mirrors of each other with their similar faces and blue eyes, blonde hair hanging from their woolen caps, clutching each other's hands tightly as the truck bounced up and down the road.  Unlike many in the truck, neither one of them spoke – just the closeness they felt to each other was enough.  But the scorches on their brown coats and dried blood on their hands showed they likely shared the same stories everyone in the truck had – they'd just barely escaped a war.

"When does it all end?"

Snatches of conversation began to emerge in the truck.

"The royals are gone, but that bastard General ain't happy yet.  Emerald Dawn was supposed to set us free..."

"Didn't you hear!?  They rounded people up to take Nordland!  Said they're gonna knock another King off his throne for the good of the people!"

"Dammit, they better let us through in Westheim… I don't want to die on a battlefield…"

The truck bumped over a pothole, causing one of the twins to reach out and clutch the other close before they fell to the floor.

A redheaded girl with a ponytail and a distinctly Sudlandian accent cut in.  "The Shions brought nothing but fire and devastation.  It's only right they died in fire too.  The Prince was the lucky one… died at home.  Pampered and comforted."

"No!  I heard someone passing through in Jagenschatz saying they saw him alive, in the Rhune!  He gave himself up so the Dawn wouldn't shoot a bunch of peasants!  Prince Kaito was a hero!"

The Sudlander spat.  "No aristocrat gives up anything for those less than him.  It must have been a fake…"

One of the twins looked particularly disturbed, about to leap up and speak, before the other twin silenced them with a grip on their shoulder.  They both settled back, slipping closer to the side of the truck as a cold blast of wind nearly blew the cloth covering off.  Then everything was quiet again.

"They won't kick us back will they?"

"They might… if they don't want trouble.  Westheim's always looked out for itself first.  And the Queen came from there too."

The redhead added "They never lifted a finger for Sudland."

"But they're not royals… they don't have royals."

"They have worse than that – they have _politicians._ "

Dark laughter echoed in the back of the truck.

The twins pressed closer together, not engaging in the conversations… just waiting.

"You don't think Confedere's going to do anything?  They might get ansty with all those resources in Nordland and not here…"

"We better hope they _don't_.  Or we're never going to make it to Westheim."

 

With all three of her new prisoners tied up and seated below deck, Luka finally had a chance to interrogate them once the one Gakupo had knocked out awoke.  "If you think we'll tell a Loyalist anything-!" the blonde cursed.  
  
Luka tried to remember the names they'd shouted on the boat while she was being invaded.   She _thought_ this one was Yuu.

" _I'm not a Loyalist, so I'll only ask once for you to stop insulting me by insinuating I'd ever work with them_."

He looked surprised to see Luka speak to him in fluent Sudlandian.  "Then who are you!?  Confedere?!"

The brunette, who she was certain was named Kyo, spoke up.  "If you're with the Confedere, then you can tell the Commander…"

_"Both of you be quiet!  She hasn't said anything!"_ scolded the black-haired man, switching back to Sudlandian.

"… I've only accounted for two of you, your name is?"

The black-haired man grunted.  "Wil's right, we don't give in that easily!" Yuu shouted.

"So Wil then.  Thank you."

The glare from the other two men seemed to silence the rather quick speech of the blonde boy.

Luka could only assume the "Confedere" was the "Confedere de Lys."  The same group her parents had once joined, little good it did them.  But she knew it was still active since the fall, under a different leadership, always looking for a chance to liberate their kingdom.  Frankly she assumed the Emerald Dawn had been recruiting out of their ranks or absorbing them entirely.  So if they were asking about them, the was a chance the organization was still active.

" _What_ do you want me to tell the Commander?"

The three boys clammed up and Luka felt her frustration growing.  She was good at taking secrets without people knowing her identity – teasing them out with cleverly laid traps.  Taking it from someone she'd just beaten up - was she supposed to torture it out of them?  'That's probably not the best tactic...' she thought, 'They'll just say anything to get me to stop, rather than telling me what I need to know.'

But that meant she needed to get to know them… assuming nobody would come looking for a missing scouting patrol.  Which they most certainly would.

"Look, all we want is intel on Nordland!" Gumi shouted, "What are their movements?!  Where are they building up?!  We don't have much time!"

When the silence persisted, Gumi looked as frustrated as Luka felt.  "Fine, just leave them here and take their boat.  We don't have time to argue.  Gakupo, I'll…"

The flatness of the room in front of her reminded her of a certain weakness she still possessed.

"… take care of things here.  Gumi, help him out of here and grab enough for us."

Her footsteps felt a little steadier as she kept adjusting to the new vision her remaining eye provided, but she still didn't feel confident risking dropping a _person._   Gakupo tried to prop himself up in the bed as Gumi came over to grab him.  "Sorry it didn't work out!" he apologized, "But I understand… you took your oaths for a reason.  Sudland though, right?  Whereabouts?"

"We came from… Saint-Urbain… not that you'd care," Kyo said gruffly.

"Eh?!  The border city?!"

Gakupo perked up.  "How's it holding up?  So close to Westheim… ah!  They're famous for their macarons too!  Oh, it must feel so colorful and…"

"It's been cut up.  It's so important to Estmarch they're always stomping through it, making sure nobody in the resistance were to cut off the border access."

Somehow… Gakupo was getting them talking.  Just through small talk?  Now that the conversation was going again, Gumi gently returned the poor man to the bed so he could be more comfortable.  "You said something about the Confedere, did they ever help you out?" he continued.

"Always…" Kyo said, "Whenever the rationing hit, it was only the Sudlanders that suffered, those Estmarch bastards never had to give up anything.  So they'd sneak us food…"

"Heh… one of them always brought treats for the children…" Yuu interrupted.

"-they'd try to get us warmth in the winter… When they started looking for bodies, we…"

"That's enough, they don't care," Wil said icily.

_"Like **hell** I don't care!"_ Luka began to shout in Sudlandian, " _My parents gave their lives for the Confedere!  They died for them in Saint-Famille!_ "

Just shouting the name of her burned down home seemed to change the demeanor of her captives.  _"We didn't know…_ " Wil said.

"Well now you do," she explained, "We're not in the Confedere, but we are trying to stop the Dawn from attacking Nordland.  So there isn't another Saint-Famille!  I know who's really pulling the strings of the Dawn, and she'll burn down everything that stands in her way.  _Le monde des cendres!_ "

The young men looked to each other, before each nodding their assent.  Kyo was the first to speak. "We… we joined the Dawn because we wanted the abuse to stop.  We were promised that they would save Sudland when the Confedere had always failed, that their way would work.  We didn’t want a bigger war.  We didn't want… we didn't want Tonio!"

"Nobody would have wanted that," Gakupo said in an assuring voice, "You were trying to save your loved ones."

"Holy crap…"

Luka almost jumped when she realized Gumi had crept right behind Luka as she whispered into her ear.  "He's a genius at 'good cop, bad cop!' Meiko always has to play 'good cop' for me…"

"Look, we were out here patrolling for anyone that would interfere with the Faerie Dust… there's a plane en route now with it.  We know where the Nordlanders tend to patrol so…"

Wil coughed.  "I mean, if a Nordland spy had gotten ahold of that intel, it wouldn't really be on us, would it?"

"What _is_ Faerie Dust?" Gumi butted in.

"It's… it's some kind of gas," Yuu answered, "It's still too classified for us to know how it works.  We haven't seen them use it yet either."

Luka began to approach the bound men.  "If I let you go, what do you intend to do?"

From the shocked looks on their faces, none of them seemed to have considered they might be shown mercy.  "We… we just told you everything…" Kyo stammered.

"We'll report that we sunk an enemy vessel!" Yuu shouted suddenly, "That way they'll leave you alone.  There won't be any more patrols if you keep along the coastline and the Nordlanders won't come in this far–"

Gumi cut him off quickly.  "How far _do_ they come in?"

"Are you nuts?!" Kyo shouted, "They'll sink you without a second thought!"

The photographer was having none of it.  "How.  Far."

Kyo was looking at her like she'd lost her mind, but he relented under the weight of her intimidating gaze.  "Fine… it's your funeral.  We have a chart in the cabin back on the Zola, they hang around No-Man's Strait.  You cross too deep into that, they'll blow you out of that water.  We'll let you look at before we take off again."

Already Gumi had her camera out.  "Lead the way!" she ordered.

As Gumi followed the freed soldiers out of the basement, Luka checked on Gakupo.  "A biochemical weapon," Gakupo murmured, "Wretched business.  That technology could have been used to make medicine…"

"If the name wasn't so obvious, the technique is… _theirs_ ," Luka said.  The innuendo made it clear which group of people she was referring to.  "The Grand Godmother always _was_ fond of poison…"

As the discussion turned to toxins, Gakupo leaned back into the bed – clearly he was still having some trouble maintaining enough stamina for long.  "Luka… Rin confessed to me years ago that they tested poisons on her…"

She hoped Gakupo hadn't noticed the sudden tremor that crawled up her hands.  "Immunity training was common practice," she said.

But even as she uttered the words, they felt wrong – as though she was still making excuses.  She was part of it, after all.  She'd risen high enough to start training the other Cinderellas.  And sometimes that training meant combat… and sometimes...

She'd trained both Rin and Miku.  She watched them suffer and curl around as the toxins tore through their fragile bodies.  She held Rin's hair back as the poor girl wretched for hours the first time she'd taken a rather virulent toxin.  Rin couldn't have been more than 7 years old, but she knew the Grand Godmother would have wanted to get her out and into the field as soon as possible.  Nobody would suspect a child of murder.  So she endured the poison trials to make her tiny body capable of surviving.

And all the while, Luka thought she'd never felt remorse – after all, she was still a child herself being made to train other children.  She tried to at least provide some support to the girls as they suffered.  She'd not been granted even the slightest amount of comfort or pity, berated when she couldn't stand, demeaned when her body violently rejected whatever they'd given her next. Until eventually the pain eased as it adapted.

Rin was one of her _triumphs_.  Even when the news had come back that she'd died, there was no real punishment for her trainer – Cinderellas were disposable and Rin's target had been properly assassinated.  So Luka had tried to convince herself that the feelings of sorrow that crept into her on knowing the little girl had suffered all the way to end were unnatural.

Not like now.

Rin hadn't even had a second thought about working with her.  About letting Gakupo try to reach her.  Luka had never taught her such kindness, had she?

"Ah, I didn't mean to upset you," Gakupo added, "I only meant that you might know what the toxin in the gas is."

He was an idiot that was _extremely_ good at reading her.  "We had _many_.  I couldn't know on my own without seeing them use it, working backwards from the symptoms.  Or even if I were exposed, assuming it was one of the ones tested on myself…"

She stopped when she realized what Gakupo was really getting at.  "You're half-dead in that cot and you're already thinking of how to cure poison gas?!"

He managed a weak laugh.  "I mean I could certainly give it a look…"

"You're impossible!  Just focus on getting better!"

 

By morning's light, Miku had already managed to get Kaito back onto the mountain trails.  The shorter hours of winter wouldn't give them nearly as much time as she'd hoped for, but she was certain she'd make it to the next destination on the map shortly, another small cabin apparently.  How long had these people been spying up here?

'Most of the words are Sudlandian… The Dawn wouldn't need a dedicated spying operation, they had Cinderellas embedded with them.'

So that only left the Confedere.  And Miku still couldn't decide whether it would be a good thing to run into them or not.  As if she needed another group of radicals to worry about trying to end Kaito's life…

She heard Kaito's footsteps drop off behind her again and sighed.  She hoped he wasn't being overtaken by melancholy again.  "Kaito, is everything all right?"

She turned back to see him leaning on a tree, staring out into the valley below.  "Sorry… I just wanted to take in the view," he said.

His eyes traced the entire valley below him, absorbing everything in front of him with wonder.  Sometimes it was hard for Miku to keep in mind how little Kaito had truly seen of the world in person.  To him such massive height must feel like a miracle.  "Out there, through the Alpines… that's Westheim, right?"

He raised one of his gloved hands and pointed outward, towards a series of white tipped peaks.  "Right… you can see Saint-Urbain there…"

Miku pointed out towards a small town tucked away in the snow.  "We have to go through there, unfortunately.  It's our best route to a border checkpoint.  I'm hoping when we get to Saint-Urbain that we can find some way to communicate with your Uncle, because I'm not sure how easy it's going to be to sneak through the border with a war on."

"Right, Westheim is a neutral country, but they're hardly a weak one," Kaito recalled, "I read in my histories that their mercenary armies used to be feared throughout the continent until the age of the Westheim Unification began."

Kaito's deep education was coming through as he kept rattling off details of Westheim's history. "They've never weakened their military, only using it to reinforce themselves.  I'm certain even if my mother _didn't_ hail from there, they wouldn't have attacked it without careful consideration of the losses."

His sight lingered on the Alpines.  "And yet I'm about to head out there and beg them to end their neutrality, just for me."

"Is your uncle… royalty?" Miku asked, feeling nervous at her lack of knowledge.

Yet though Kaito seemed a little amused by the question, his response was hardly patronizing.  "The Unification led to the downfall of the noble houses," he explained patiently, "There are no kings in Westheim.  My mother and uncle descend from a noble bloodline, but by the time she was born the blood meant nothing more than the property they owned and a name.  Though, last I heard, my uncle is serving out a term as a Councillor in the National Assembly…"

He fell silent as he watched the valley for a few more moments.  Were the thoughts of his family tearing at him again?  'It makes sense though… when I lost my parents… it felt like I was emptied out.  That I had nothing left… that I…'

'I…'

_They turned her mother to ash when she passed, scattering them across her beloved garden. When her father came home, he too became ash and they scattered him there so he could return to his beloved.  Why couldn't she be ash like them?  At least when she was covered in ash she could feel their warmth –_

"Miku?  Are you okay?!  You're turning pale!"

She felt her heart racing so hard she wasn't sure that she could breathe right.  All of a sudden a wretched thought had seized her mind, like the memories of someone else's life.  She tried to shove it deep into her heart again, lest she not be strong enough to save Kaito when he needed her.

"I'll be fine, I promise," she said trying to reassure him, "It's likely the cold.  We should be close to the cabin.  It won't be long now."

He didn't look like he entirely believed her, but he accepted it.  "All right, then I'll stop slowing our progress.  Certainly I'll return to these mountains again some day!"

It felt wrong making Kaito think himself responsible for her sudden shock, but she didn't want him to think of her as weak.  Not now, not when he needed her…

 

Miku had almost lost track of time when she spotted something out of place.  She pulled out the map, and confirmed that the cabin she'd spied ahead was their target – but there was smoke coming out of the chimney…

"Miku – there's a car out front, see it?" Kaito said barely above a whisper.

"Whoever is in there isn't terribly concerned about being spotted!" she said.

She placed a hand on her pistol.  "Should we chance it?"

"Hmmm… if they're being this obvious, they might not be trying to attack… another survivor maybe?"

"A survivor of a group that tried to kill you," Miku added, "It can't be one of our allies, they all took routes behind us!"

She began to approach softly through the snow, looking for any signs of violence.  The car certainly looked like it had seen better days, but it didn't immediately read to Miku as a military vehicle.  The chains around the tires indicated it was likely used frequently to get through snow – so that meant there might be usable road.  'We could use a car like that,' Miku thought.

Unfortunately, the windows of the cabin remained shuttered, preventing her from getting a peek inside easily.  She glanced back to Kaito.  "Let's give it a chance," he said, "I've got my pistol out."

"Right…"

She approached the cabin and stared at the door.  Should she throw it open?  Kick it down?!

"Er… I meant, try knocking on it."

Miku turned a little red – of course he was trying something more peaceful first.  She slipped a glove off her hand and rapped along the wood.  She heard footsteps approaching and tried to keep her nerve…

The door opened to reveal a woman maybe a year or so older than Miku, her long blonde hair framed by a prim black headband.  She wore a long black jacket with a yellow collar, opened to reveal a white shirt and tight white pants, along with thigh high black boots.

"Hmmm… a girl with green pigtails and a blue haired boy… Kaito and Miku?"

"We - we… we're…" Kaito stammered.

"Yes.  We are.  Who sent you?" Miku said coldly.  It _wasn't_ a good thing that this stranger knew their names already.

The woman looked more at ease.  "Come on in and warm up.  You're being expected in Saint-Urbain.  I'll make sure you arrive."

She snatched the map right out of the stunned Miku's hands.  "Oh good, you've been using our spy network… well, I'll drive you the rest of the way."

The whistling of the tea kettle caught the girl's attention.  "Ah, right on time!  That should warm you lot up before we do the drive back down."

Miku looked into Kaito's face and felt some relief at him being just as confused as she is.  "She… she can't be a Cinderella, can she?" he whispered.

"They're not this… obvious…" Miku said.

Kaito tried to get the stranger's attention.  "After what we've been through we're… not likely to receive strangers without suspicion."

The blonde quickly poured the cups.  "I'm Lily.  I work for the Confedere.  We picked up a friend of yours when we were investigating the bombing at the Zellen Sea.  A Nordlander, Meiko something."

"Meiko?!  She made it?!" Miku said.

"But… Meiko wasn't alone the last time I saw her…" Kaito said, "Was there anyone else you arrested?"

She gave a shrug.  "Just her.  She didn't mention anyone else.  Just said she had to get up into the mountains and find her friends."

"Then why not bring her?" Kaito asked pointedly.

"We're still checking out her story.  But I agreed to come up here and find you.  She was insistent that you two were critical to fighting the Emerald Dawn… and… well…"

Lily laughed darkly.  "Even if you were a Loyalist, you're still an enemy of the Dawn."

So Meiko hadn't told her who Kaito really was... "Hurry up and close the door!  You're letting the chill in!  Now let's drink this tea and get going!  I don't have all day!"

 

With the civil war reaching a boiling point, more and more were crowding into Saint-Urbain as they tried to get out of Estmarch.  Even with the Loyalists officially eliminated, pockets of resistance to the Dawn still remained.  And all over the city were signs of that miserable diaspora – families broken up, people with terrible wounds, a sea of languages that didn't quite mesh.

A girl with blonde hair and a woolen cap hobbled along on a pair of crutches, blending in perfectly with the parade of wounded.  Nobody gave her a second glance – just another forgotten child with nothing to offer, wearing ill-fitting and ragged clothes.

She reached the rose garden near the old market place and stopped, leaning against a vandalized statue of the former royal family of Estmarch.  The statue appeared to have large gashes and bullet impacts on it, breaking up their features.  Graffiti covered parts of its surface, mostly obscenities in Sudlanian.  A radio resting in a market stall blared what sounded like a news report, but the radio announcer spoke in Sudlanian.  She watched as a pair of children played a game she thought she recognized… the girl wearing flowers in her hair like a crown, the boy wielding a stick like it were a sword…

'Knight and Princess…'

Suddenly the station cut out to a broadcast of a speech in Estmarchian.

"The Emerald Dawn, which is the most powerful army in the world, has destroyed the last wretches of the terrible Shion Royals!  Terrible people!  But now we're going to bring fire and fury like they've never seen to those who continue to oppose us!  Let not one man or woman in Uralia ever forget what the new Emerald Dawn means for the world!"

The cheering on the broadcast was drowned out by the sound of air raid sirens.  The girl glanced into the sky before she spotted the planes.  She grabbed her crutches and prepared to run before she saw the person she was waiting for.  The boy, her mirror image, her Knight.

"Rin!  Come on, let's get some cover before it's too late!"

 

As a child, Kaito had dreamed of climbing a mountain and staring down on creation below him.  The exact opposite of feeling trapped and contained as he'd been growing up.  Having achieved that dream, though, he was still rather glad to be done with the dangerous mountain hiking as he left the cabin with Miku and their new companion.  "I hadn't even heard of sticking chains a tire before," Kaito said in awe as he inspected the vehicle further.

"The weather's much milder in Vedunia, you'd never have to worry about it," Lily said, "Frankly, this is the furthest I could have driven safely.  There's a wide enough pass on the way down though, it'll get you to Saint-Urbain a lot quicker than walking."

Their tea conversation had been quite simple – Kaito and Miku claimed to be escaping the persecution of the Loyalists, and Lily claimed to need to process them before releasing them.  Aside from that, the woman hadn't been angry or unpleasant.  Her guarded nature seemed understandable really given the tensions at play.  Most importantly, she didn't seem to know his true identity even though she knew his name.  'For once I'm glad my parents gave me a rather common name,' he thought to himself.

As they settled into the car, Kaito froze up as the sound of distant planes broke the calm.  He heard the explosions and he started to run madly to the edge of the cliff.  "What?!  What's going on!?  That's Saint-Urbain, isn't it?!"

All at once the distant horizon began to blaze with fire…

"No… they're blowing it up… because they… I…"

He didn't need it spelled out to him.  The Dawn somehow knew he was alive, and they were willing to chance bombing an entire city of full of people just to ensure his demise…

His legs felt weak under him, but his heart began to rage.  He was tired of running and hiding.  He was tired of having so many foes chasing him within an inch of his life and happily disposing of everything and everyone around him to deprive him of life.

He felt someone grab his hand and almost pulled it back until he realized it was Miku.  He didn't understand why until he saw his distance from the edge of the cliffside.  "No Miku.  I'm not… I'm not trying to escape," he said calmly.

She started to loosen her grip and he charged for the car.  "We have to get to Saint-Urbain at once!  There's people in danger there!"

"We shouldn't…" Lily said, "This may sound cold, but three of us can't do anything for them."

"Surely there's something we can do to evacuate the civilians?!" he protested, "Is there safe haven for them outside the bombing zone?"

Lily looked at him oddly before a smirk crossed her face.  "In the confusion over the coup, the Confedere managed to wrestle Fort Maisonneuve away from the crown.  It's a decent sized compound the Sudlanders used during invasions from Westheim three hundred years ago.  We have some guns mounted on the towers that could give us protection from aerial bombings-"

"Then let's get down there and start evacuating them to the compound!"

 

Rin abandoned the useless crutches as she and Len ran for dear life, their packs the only possessions they had as they tried to weave through the panicked and confused populace.  That was before the first bombs fell…

The city exploded in fire and smoke… Len grabbed her and pressed her against a wall as another building burst into fragments, trying to shield her.  "S-stop it!" she shouted, "I'm not a Princess, I don't need to be protected!"

"I'm not losing you, dammit!" he shouted, "There's a place we can go, the hospital on Avenue de Pins has a bunker-"

That was when a faint, sharp smell impacted the air.  Like mint, drifting through the city on chilled winds…

"There's something off… the air, it's wrong… kind of heavy…" Rin said.

"Who cares?!" Len shouted as he grabbed her and started to run…

That's when she was aware of the screams.  People beginning to choke, collapsing as they tried to gasp for air…

Her brother's grip loosened at once as he put his hands to his face.  "My eyes!  They're… they're on fire!"

"No!  LEN!"

He bent over as if rubbing them with his mittens would somehow stop the pain.  "No, stop it, don't touch them, your hands are going to be coated in the gas!  That will make it worse"

His breathe was growing labored.  "R-R-in… gas mask…"

She dropped her pack and pulled it out.  They only had one left after the explosion in the car incinerated so many of their things...

"*hack* not sick… *hack* just… *cough* put it on and save yourself."

Without a second thought, she slipped the mask over her brother's face, tightening the straps.  He tried to protest, but the coughing was sapping his strength.

"Avenue de Pins, right?  Keep this on to limit your exposure," she said, smiling sadly at him.

"-no!  Why?!  Why would you?!"

The bombs continued to fall, the gas permeating the air, the fire shooting around her… and she only had one thought.  The Princess would give her life to save her Knight.

 

Luka tensed up as the boat finally came to a stop in the open water.  Once their companions had departed, Gumi had dashed on board to turn the engines on and start jetting out to the open sea.  Even so, there was no guarantee her plans would work – she was only somewhat certain her message would get out.

That's why she was staying on deck.  To at least have some lead time if they were boarded or worse, shot at…

The No Man's Strait was an absolute.  Any boat caught crossing it without authorization could be shot by any of the various Uralian powers that maintained it.

And right now, Gumi was counting on a radio signal making it through.  Though the girl seemed to be _trying_ to keep up her calm persona, Luka was starting to see cracks of her frustration sneaking through as the green-haired spy fiddled with the dials on the musty equipment, the high-pitched squeals of the changing frequencies through the speakers the only indication that it worked at all.  Out of frustration the girl suddenly heaved her fist back and gave it a good punch, surprising Luka as she took a few steps backward.

"Okay… let's try it…"

She slipped the microphone off the unit and turned it on.  "The lioness has returned from the hunt.  I repeat, the lioness has returned from the hunt, over!"

'That's supposed to be a code?!' Luka thought to herself, 'Surely only over a truly secure channel then…'

After all, using an image of the Nordlander's famed crest in communications would get a spy's cover blown quite fast!

Gumi waited another moment before she started up again.  "The lioness has returned from the hunt.  I repeat, the lioness has returned from the hunt, over!"

Another few moments of silence.  "Meiko said that was the code… oh, I know I memorized it but what if it's changed or… or…"

These moments of insecurity seemed to be growing more frequent.  Here was a trained spy that killed without thought breaking down over the separation of her partner?  'Does Nordland just recruit anyone that looks good?  A performance artist and a photographer?'

She started to wonder what truly made a spy different from a Cendrillon now…

"Lioness, this is Leon.  State your purpose, over."

And just like that, the girl's fear faded at once.  "Leon, this is Wildfire.  I was on assignment with Piano… she split off from me.  We have intel on the movements of the Emerald Dawn.  They've abandoned the Strait to defend the coastline.  I have important intelligence on board.  Permission to cross?"

The radio stayed silent for another moment.  "Permission granted, Wildfire.  I'll bring the Lola to escort you to Nordland so you can deliver it personally…'

'Across the channel?!'

She hadn't even considered that Gumi might be trying to leave.  But the girl seemed to be hesitating.  "No.  Piano's mission is too critical for me to abandon her in Estmarch.  The most important part is this – the Estmarch Civil War is starting to end.  The King and Queen are dead along with their supporters.  The Dawn is about to strike Nordland from the air, and they have a chemical weapon to deploy."

"I see… we'll take your written intelligence, but I'll have the radiographer transmit your warning to the mainland.  What do you intend to do, Wildfire?"

Gumi clutched the microphone just a little bit tighter.  "Prince Kaito of Estmarch still lives.  He's going to try and cross the border into Westheim.  I'll make further contact when he's safely across.  He… He may be the key to peace on the continent.  If he proves reliable, I'll ensure he contacts the Nordland embassy in the capital.  Regardless, there _will_ be more intel.  But… Piano believes in him, so I will too."

Luka saw the floodlights of the Lola approaching and began to head down the deck.  Best she not be spotted above deck.

 

The moment the vehicle had pulled into the fort, Lily was greeted by higher ups as she tried to work out the situation in the city.  It was obvious to Miku from the way they deferred decision making to her that she was herself someone of rather high rank in the Confedere – so why had she come up herself instead of sending an underling?  Were they short-staffed?

Within moments, there was an assignment for three of them – to get out into the woods and help seek out civilians who needed help. 

And naturally… Kaito hadn't hesitated for a second to volunteer himself.

Sometimes Miku hated Kaito's sense of justice.  He was so eager to try and protect everything around him that he didn't think to protect himself…

Despite the brave front he was putting up, Miku knew that he was letting his guilt drive him.  That people all around were dying because the people chasing them both wanted him dead so badly.

Miku knew what that guilt felt like.

"We're to meet with the 7th Squadron!  They've got injured and elderly with them!" Lily barked out.

"Do we have room in the car for them?" Kaito answered, "Any reports on what kind of weapons they used?"

"We can figure it out when we find 7th!" Lily responded.

As the car passed further up the road, the 7th was hard to miss, with the small crowd of people surrounding them.  Lily stopped the car and waved the others out, Kaito and Miku easily slipping out.  "We can only fit a few!" she said, "Who's the worst off, we'll send them up first!  I'll radio ahead for more cars!"

Kaito kept staring out at the city, then back at the injured.  Some of them had clearly been injured by shells, but others were coughing awfully hard…

"Okay, we'll start loading them up," Lily said, "Kaito, Miku, can you look a little further out to make sure there aren’t any stragglers?"

"Right!" Kaito said quickly.

"Try not to go too far, who knows who's still out there… and try to stay out of the city, okay?"

Miku kept a careful eye on Kaito's clothing for any telltale signs of blood as they tromped through the snow, but he still looked safe for now.  "Wait, did you hear that?!" he said suddenly.

He was glancing out towards a burning clock tower on the city limits.  "Kaito… there's a child up there!  Look!"

Miku could just barely make out the shape of a girl clad in a sailor's dress and purple hat with two purple pigtails, standing on an outdoor balcony and crying for help as the flames climbed the tower.

"I don't think Lily meant for us to go that far…" Miku started to say.

"But we can't just leave an innocent like that!" he protested.

Of course, Kaito was right.  Of course, he was about to run headlong into danger.  And of course… Miku was going to join him.  "Okay, be ready for anything!"

Miku tried to push open the door to the clock tower, feeling the heat from behind it.  She waved Kaito back before jumping back and giving it a good harsh kick, watching it collapse.  While flames licked the corridors, she could still make out a path.  "Right behind me!" she shouted.

Kaito darted inside with her as the pair dashed up the stairs, burning beams collapsing around them.  "I can hear her!" Kaito shouted, "Just one more… oh no…"

The door to the outside was already open and most of the floor had collapsed, trapping the girl on the other side.  "So that's why she's stuck… no!  We can't leave her like that!" Kaito pleaded.

Miku judged the distance – this wouldn't be simple, but it was within her skills.  "I'm not going to… listen, I can make that jump.  But I'll need you to help out…"

Though he looked nervous for her, he tried to stay calm.  "Okay Miku.  I trust you."

The former Cinderella performed an acrobatic jump across the pit.  She could see the child starting to collapse into a coughing fit, clutching at her eyes.  "I'm coming for you!  Stay still!"

"Ma-ma?!" the girl coughed out.

'It must be from the smoke!' Miku thought to herself.  She carefully gathered up the child in her arms.  "Kaito, be ready!"

He hovered near the pit, watching the flames creeping up the supports.  They had little time.  Miku took in a deep breathe, and for a moment she thought she could smell mint…

The fire and heat burst out behind her as the floor began to collapse as she leapt.  She just barely made it to the sturdier ground as Kaito reached out to catch the both of them.  "Aren't you… aren't you injured?!" Miku coughed out through the smoke.

"Not… *cough* not so bad!" he shouted, taking the coughing child from her arms, "What's your name, young lady?"

"U-una!" the girl said as tears poured from her eyes.

"*cough* I assure you, you'll feel much better when we have you out of this smoke!"

He gave the girl a comforting hug before he and Miku made one last sprint down the stairs.  Miku was grateful that at least this part of the structure was built on more solid brick, but as they escaped the burning structure and the cold air surrounded them, Miku felt the adrenaline calming down.  "We… we did it…" Kaito said, his voice hoarse as he ran a gloved hand along his eyes, "Let's *cough* let's get her back to the 7th!"

"How much smoke did you inhale?" Miku asked curiously as the two made their way back up the hill.  Kaito seemed strangely short of breath.  It didn't seem so strange for the girl he was holding to be having trouble with breathing after being up in smoke and flames so long, but Kaito had only been there a few minutes…

"I… I promise you, I tried to keep my head low-"

He was interrupted by a sudden coughing fit, slowing his pace through the snow.  Her worry only grew as he seemed to have trouble walking.  "Let me take the girl… you shouldn't try to pretend you're healthier than you are!" Miku insisted, taking the coughing Una from his hands.

"R-r-right…" Kaito said, unusually obedient given the situation.  As soon as Una was out of his hands, he went back to rubbing his eyes, trying to clear some kind of irritant.

"Kaito?" Miku said with worry.

"Miku!  Kaito!  Where were you?!" Lily called out, "Who's that girl?"

Miku clutched the ill child close to her.  "Kaito saw her inside a burning clocktower… we went inside to save her, she has smoke inhalation injuries and-"

"You went into the city?!  _Merde_!  Okay, the three of you will be taking the next car up!"

"What?!" Miku protested, "What happened?!"

Suddenly Kaito's knees buckled under him and Miku realized _why_ she'd smelled mint and what it meant as he collapsed in the snow, clutching at his chest while his coughing grew more pronounced, matching Una's symptoms perfectly.  "Poison gas… no, Kaito!"

 

Len thought he was awake… he felt himself moving his eyelids… but everything in front of him still had a black, muddy appearance.

"Rin?" he shouted, before his burning lungs filled him with coughs.

"I'm right here, Len.  You're in the basement of the hospital, we had to move the patients downstairs to stop more of the gas from getting inside."

Gas… poison gas… he remembered the sensation of illness in his chest, like fire burning away inside of him, of the sensation of his eyes being pricked by thousands of needles, of being dragged away… and… and…

"The gas mask…"

"You're going to be better off Len," Rin explained, "You only inhaled a small amount before I put the mask on you."

"Forget me, what about you?!  You were running around in that without anything on!  Why are… are…"

Another coughing fit interrupted his train of questions.

"It's okay, Len."

He could just barely make out the shadowy form of his sister before he gave up and closed his eyes as the stinging became too much.  "Well… I… the Godmothers must have tested this on some of us Cinderellas because… I don't feel a thing.  None of the symptoms at all.  So… this must be the Faerie Dust they spoke of."

Faerie Dust… a toxin they could drop on a major population center and leave their own agents unharmed.  And they'd… they'd tested it?!  On his _sister_?!

"When I get my hands on them I'm gonna…!"

He felt her gentle touch on his wrist.  "Just stay here and recuperate, okay?  I have a plan.  I know what's causing this.  I recognized the poison from the symptoms and I know there's patches of the toxic plant they used just outside the city, inside Saint Catherine's Forest.  I know a little bit of making antidotes… it's not great, but Gakupo taught me a lot.  So… well, I am a nurse, right?  I can't leave patients to suffer."

She was _leaving?!_

"Rin… you didn't put that mask on when it made sense to.  You had no way of knowing you were immune.  It wasn't just to save me, was it?!"

He risked opening his eyes again.  In the shadowy blurs of his impaired vision, he couldn't make out Rin's reaction.  Len tried to push himself out of bed before the weakness in his limbs forced him back down.  He felt his sister's arms around him as she settled him back into the cot.  "Please Len… let your Princess save her Knight."

'No!  That's not how the story goes, Rin!  That's… not…'

She was already out of his sight, leaving Len to the stinging darkness.  He had to do something, even if his body wasn't going to help him out!

'Come on Len, think… you were gathering intel, what did you hear earlier?!  There has to be someone else that can do this besides her…!'

He remembered a phone number… if he could just get the attention of one of the other nurses in the ward, he could still protect Rin… the way he was supposed to have done all those years ago…

 

_So much blood…_

_She'd messed up, her knife had cut too shallow… that's why he had time to shoot her before he died…_

_Her vision blurred as the pain began to eat at her.  She still felt pain?  Luka had taught her to ignore it… but this pain was different… she'd never been shot, she'd never bled like this, she'd never…_

_Her small thin legs trembled and she collapsed in the street.  Her vision began to run dark and she started to think back to the days she had been forced to forget… the memories she'd been told were lies… where the boy that matched her face would pledge his loyalty to his princess and protect her from harm…_

_'I'm… I'm not a Princess…' she thought as tears came to her eyes, 'I don't… I don't deserve to be… I deserve to…'_

_She thought she heard a voice around her when someone scooped her out of the street.  "Miss!  Miss, who did this to you?!  Is the criminal still around?!"_

_"He's… he's… dead…" she whispered._

_"Gunshot to the abdomen… please, stay with me, we're close to my hospital.  I'll see to it that you get the proper care!"_

_"N-n-no… I don't… I should be… dead… I deserve to die…"_

_She tried to make out the face of this stubborn man.  Purple hair and blue eyes.  Young, a college student?  "No one deserves to die like this.  Your life has worth.  I promise you."_

_He was awfully strong for a student, the way he cradled her while he ran through the street.  "Don't worry about a thing!  You've found the best surgeon in the kingdom, so you're basically already saved!"_

_"N-no… you can't… if you save me… they'll never stop chasing me… you're… you're… in danger!"_

_"Tut tut, such lovely eyes should never be clouded by worry!  We're almost there!"_

_Was this man a real Knight?_

Rin's evening drive into the Saint Catherine Forest through the burning streets of Saint-Urbain had gone surprisingly smoothly in the hours since the bombings ended.  Whatever they intended to gain from bombing Saint-Urbain to the ground, they'd apparently decided it was worth it.  Naturally she'd been able to steal an abandoned car in the now-empty streets and quickly make her way out of town. But she couldn't well drive a car through a forest…

She was grateful that the snow cover was so light out here – it gave her an easier time searching for the landmarks from the map she'd hastily scribbled.  She knew she couldn't be far from the natural habitat of the plant she needed, but she still found herself searching for any stragglers, just in case.

She'd been able to work backwards from the combination of symptoms and the odd scent of the gas which toxin it was that was in the gas.  Rin didn't recall having an aerosolized form of the poison used against her, which only meant that the coughing fits and blindness weren't normal chemical burns and gas irritants.  The exposure symptoms were coming from a normal reaction to the toxin itself.

And of course, she could remember which poison she'd endured that made her go _blind_.

'Agathea merinosa… it's a parasitic vine with purple leaves, it'll stand out in all this white!  And they don't die off in the winter…'

She stopped her slow walk through the woods when she heard voices up ahead.  A light bouncing around in the darkness.  'Is someone out here?!' she thought with worry.

She crept through the trees like a cat, her footsteps barely touching the snow.

"Hurry up!  We need to get the next batch ready or we won't have anything for Nordland!"

As Rin slipped close to the edge of the trees, she saw a small truck loaded with several wooden crates – and soldiers for the Dawn crawling around everywhere as they gathered up the vines she needed for her antidote…

'They must have some kind of facility to process those into gas…' Rin thought to herself, 'On the other hand… even one of those crates would probably be more than enough for me to devise an antidote out of...'

She snuck through the trees, trying to make her way towards the truck with the crates.  If she could just get in there and start it up, she could drive off with all of them… saving her brother's life _and_ depriving the Dawn of more of their weapon…

She finally made it to the door of the truck, trying to sneak inside, when she heard a gun behind her head.  "Not.  Another.  Step."

Rin didn't even wait for the next sentence before she somersaulted through the air, kicking her attacker.  The gun went off, firing into the trees… but now there was too much attention!  She tried to get away from the precious crates full of vines, lest they too be ruined by the bullets.  'I can do this!  I used to do this!' she thought as she grabbed the pistol from the woman who'd tried to shoot at her.

But with so many people, prepared for her, she wasn't sure how she could take all of them out on her own… her thigh throbbed from her recent injury…

'No!  I can't give up!  Len and the other patients in the hospital need this!'

She swallowed, preparing to stand and open fire…

"Confedere!  Surrender or face our bullets, you murderers!"

'C…Confedere!?' Rin thought to herself.

She dared to peek out of her cover behind the truck and crates to see the familiar blue and white banners on several ragtag soldiers.  She debated joining in on the fight, but held out when she saw how fast the Confedere soldiers were subduing the Dawn.

"Kagamine!  Kagamine, are you here?!" called their red-headed leader as the last enemy soldier went down.

Rin swallowed and stood up.  "It's me!" she said.

The red-haired girl saluted.  "Captain Cul, from the 4th squadron.  Your brother said you might be up here securing this area?"

'Len!  How did he…'

But of course.  Len may be blind, but he wasn't stupid.  He'd hit the ground earlier to try and find out people like this to contact.  'He's… he's stubborn!' she thought, 'He must have found a working phone somehow and…'

"We need to get these crates to the university hospital!" she barked out, "The gas victims in the basement need it!"

"Are you sure this will work?" the woman asked pointedly.

"I… I know a great deal about poisons!" Rin said, trying to conceal the reason why, "I'm a nurse, I studied with… with the best doctor in all of Uralia!"

Cul looked Rin over with a smile.  "Well I've never heard of _you_ , but if you say this will work… we need it.  We've got evacuated civilians suffering from the same symptoms.  Anything you can do to ease their pain, let alone cure the poison…"

Now this was all on her… she felt nervous as she realized the most dangerous part of the mission was past, but not the hardest…

'No… Gakupo taught me so much about compounding medicines.  I'm sure this is in my capabilities now too.'

 

Kaito tried his best to maintain a calm façade as he laid in the cot in the fort's infirmary, but it was difficult when his lungs burned like fire, his chest aching from being wracked by another coughing fit.  He couldn't bring himself to open his eyes again because of how much it hurt when the air brushed across them.  It didn't matter much anyway – whenever he did try to open them up, he only saw shadows.  But he didn’t want to keep scaring Miku, who he knew was still sitting by his side in the crowded infirmary.

He just hoped this would pass over so he could fulfill the promise he'd made…

Both of them had been given a fresh change of clothes while their old ones were washed to try and remove lingering remnants of whatever gas had been used.  He wasn't wearing much more than a hospital gown, given the lack of resources.

He could barely make out the signs of a commotion in the infirmary as a loud voice broke in.  "Hey, c'mon, I'm not family but… I'm basically a celebrity, so that has to count for something!"

The sound of clomping boots on the floor approaching his bed made him tense, but only for a moment when he got a better grip on the voice.

"Kaito.  You're a sight for sore eyes."

"Meiko!" he said, trying to smile for her.  He managed to crack open his eyelids and was just barely able to make out the shape of the brunette in the red coat before he was forced to close them up again.

"You survived!  I thought I'd sent you to your death…"

"Heh… maybe the Lord above wasn't ready to have my voice join the choir invisible."

He tried to suppress another wave of coughing as his chest lit up.  "Meiko… what happened to Dex?!"

When she didn't speak, just letting Kaito get a few tortured hacks out, he knew the answer.  "… did you know him well?" she asked sadly.

Kaito thought back to that innocent target practice so long ago.  "No… but now I wish I had.  Maybe his fate would have been better if I had."

"You didn't kill him.  Every one of us took that mission knowing we could die, and I don't think he'd have turned his guns on his own Loyalist comrades without being aware of it.  The important thing is you and Miku survived."

Kaito tried to take some comfort in that success, but right now he could only feel the weight of another death on him.  He felt gentle fingers along his hand and knew without even having to look that it was Miku trying to comfort him.

"Miku, you look pretty good for someone who joined Kaito for a romp through poisonous gas."

He felt a slight tremble in her fingers before Miku answered.  "I think the Godmothers were involved in this…" Miku said quietly, "If they were, they probably tested this poison on Cinderellas.  So… I'm… immune because I've been exposed to it in some form _besides_ gas."

Kaito wrapped his head around what this meant – for Miku to build immunity, she would have needed repeated exposure.  He tried to imagine Miku as a child, trying to stop her chest from burning while condemned to a painful blinding… and his temper began to flare at the Godmothers once more.

"Hmph… these are some sick people," Meiko muttered, "If you have some way of working out which one, I think the people here could use it.  Right now our only hope is waiting to see if they can recover on their own."

"That won't be necessary."

"Commander!?" Kaito said in shock as he tried to open his eyes again and see who was coming.  He could make out a long wave of blond hair.

"Lily?"

"I apologize that I wasn't honest with you from the start," she said, "Commander Lily LaFleur, leader of the Confedere de Lys."

"LaFleur…" Miku whispered knowingly.

LaFleur?  The last monarchy of Sudland!?

"I thought… the LaFleurs were all executed…"

Lily snuck over closer to his bedside, whispering into his ear.  "I think the last scion of House Shion should know that cheating death isn't that difficult."

So she knew all along – maybe he should have been able to guess from the fact she already knew his name when they met in the mountains.  She leaned back from the bed and pulled up a chair.  "I don't want to overtax you while you're recovering from this poison, so I'll be brief.  But we did receive word from the university hospital that someone down there figured out how to concoct an antidote to the toxin.  4th squadron supported her late last night.  The people on the ground that took the highest doses didn't survive but at least those like you that only took a mild exposure have some hope.  We're hoping to get it up here by afternoon."

His eyes were stinging again but he needed answers.  "Why did you come for me after what my family did to you?"

He could still see Luka's venomous eyes in the prison again, recalling the pain she'd suffered that drove her to years of madness.  But right now he couldn't entirely make out Lily's face, let alone her eyes.  He could only go on her surprisingly calm tone.

"Your image was forced onto everyone in Sudland.  Your face, your name, your importance… there were statues built just to make us worship you.  But we never saw you, the person.  You were almost a myth to us – a fairy tale they concocted to replace that which they stole away.  Your sudden murder was… a shock.  To many it was a victory after years of oppression.  So… when we picked up Meiko and she tried to convince us to help you escape to Westheim…"

"I wouldn't normally give that information out so freely, Kaito," Meiko interjected, "But there's frankly no way we're getting through Westheim on our own.  The Dawn holed up at the border.  I was willing to take a chance on the Confedere after getting to know Lily, but I knew she couldn't take a risk on just anyone."

"I wanted to know if you really lived up to all those platitudes she was telling me about you.  And now I see you sick in bed after saving a Sudland child from a fire.  I think that speaks more than well enough to your character diverging from your parents."

Finally, Kaito couldn't deny the pain in his eyes any longer and he allowed the lids to fall closed.  "Right, rest up.  If you want to get involved with the Confedere… we can talk after you're healed."

As he heard Lily leave, Kaito tried to draw some comfort from the knowledge that it wasn't for nothing... that he might finally be reaching a point that he could finally fight back against the monsters murdering his people.

Miku never let go of his hand.

He tried to curl his fingers up around hers in reassurance.  He wanted to feel her touch.

He heard Meiko cough before he realized that she hadn't truly seen him since before the attack.  Before he and Miku had declared their feelings for each other.

"Ah!  I should ask around and see if anyone found any sign of Gumi!  Bye!"

Even Kaito wasn't naïve enough to not notice when Meiko was giving him some time alone with the person he loved.  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back from the hiatus folks, enjoy another mega-chapter.  It was much needed.  I got everything I needed done so we can march steadily to the finish line for this series.  I hope you aren't disappointed.
> 
> So something that's come up in the past is I get asked where some of my naming conventions come from for the geography.  In this story, well, it depends on the country.  Since Estmarch is a combo of Austria and Germany, I use plays on real town names in that part of the world, but they often aren't meant to translate into real words – i.e. make it SOUND German without BEING German.  Sometimes I had a little fun – like back in Chapter 7 with Mauskirchen and Katzhagen ;) Crossing into Sudland, I've started naming towns after streets in downtown Montreal, where I currently live.  I'm not as good at coming with fake French.
> 
> Now that we're seeing more of them, the Confedere de Lys is named for the common stylized lily used to represent the French state and identity (⚜) among other things.  I deliberately had Kaito say the name in English to make the connection more obvious in an earlier chapter, and naturally, when I decided to use that symbol to represent a Sudlandian resistance, it really only made sense to have Lily be the Vocaloid that represents them ;) But I swear I had the name of the resistance group first before I got pun happy.
> 
> This chapter was another one that worried me about posting because of the chemical weapon attack being too close to home.  But it's hard to depict warfare from that era without invoking one of its greatest menaces.  I honestly chose to go light on what these things actually do to people, figuring since it's a made-up chemical weapon, it can do whatever I want.
> 
> If y'all were suddenly gasping that I pulled out Leon again for a cameo, well, I kinda had to.  He and Lola were both British Vocaloids, so they're going to be the only characters to appear in the story to actually represent the nation their software originates from ;)
> 
> **Art Credit** : The artist is Hunamiti, but she apparently took her pixiv and twitter accounts down.  I pulled the image from the Zerochan archive.


	13. Crimson Glow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Forces of liberation begin to converge as memories of the power of red swarm the hearts of two souls torn apart by war, still waiting for news of their survival...

_"As I aimlessly stop going and close my eyes, the image of yours comes into and goes out my mind..."_

_The flashbulb on the photographer's camera illuminated the stage around the red-garbed brunette in the small concert hall.  Just the right light, just the right pose, just the right moment…!_

_"If I can stay by your side, I don't need anything else… Now, my heart aches in blueness for being separated…"_

_'Who comes up with this pap?' the photographer thought to herself.  'Aches in blueness?  Pathetic.'_

_All of a sudden, she saw the perfect frame and snapped a fresh photo._

_"You warmed me... as I didn't know anything, you put yourself at risk and protected me..."_

_In theory, none of these photos mattered.  They were just cover anyway.  But in practice, how could she waste taking photographs of one such a well-commended singer and not turn each one into a work of art?!  Besides, selling the good ones to the newspapers might pay better than her real job._

_'AH!'_

_The singer crossed a gloved hand along her chest as she touched the microphone, as if guarding her own heart._

_"But you changed my chilly way of life.  As it's distant now, I'm wistful and lonely… As I've yearned and yearned for seeing you… I was looking for you at dusk on that day…"_  


SNAP!

 

_When the show ended, the photographer waited to be waved into the dressing room as per usual.  After the singer was done talking to the men that wouldn't stop fawning over her.  A professional in every way, calmly flirting, teasing them, making them remember her face without committing to a single one._

_Then it was her turn.  The singer sat at her powder table, untying the black hair ribbon and beginning to loosen her corset.  "Oh!  There she is, my flashbulb.  Was tonight a good night?"_

_"Mmmm."_

_The photographer went over to her film bag, preparing to pull out the chemicals she needed.  "Ohhh, it must have been if you're already planning to develop them."_

_They'd only been working together for two months and this woman seemed to know her inside and out.  "The light was good," the photographer said gruffly._

_The assignment had started simply enough.  She'd already been working with the Intelligence Service for a year before it was thought to try and convert the singer.  She had an ease with everyone around her that seemed to get her into places she normally shouldn't be able to, and the photographer could thus document everything._

_But the singer was everything she wasn't.  Social.  Inquisitive.  Warm.  Not like the photographer, who couldn’t even show warmth when she was engaging in her beloved hobby._

_And yet, as she darted into the bathroom to convert it into a makeshift lab, pinning the photos to the line after the alkalide solutions had done their work… she watched the images form.  The suspected foreign agent had been right in the front row, and she now had pictures that had caught the image of a telltale document in the pocket.  She cracked the door open, just enough.  "Call the station, have them pick up Bowler before he gets out of town."_

_The singer laughed as though the espionage going on during her concert were just a game.  "And to think he was a fan!  Oh, should I send him an autograph when they put him in jail?"_

_As the photographer continued to examine the photos on her line, one in particular practically leapt off the photo paper.  The singer with her arm crossed along her heart.  The sadness tempered by hope in her face._

_The newspapers could have another one.  This one was hers._

Luka adjusted the patch over her eye with deliberate care.  She shouldn't worry about being so superficial right now, but she was also concerned about standing out so much by wearing bandages on her head now that she was back on dry land and trying to blend in.  After the bombing of Saint-Urbain, everyone in the port village of Bonneau was on edge.

According to the official story, the city had been attacked by Nordland, who the General claimed had been threatened by the fall of the Shion royals and retaliated.  But the story made little sense – Saint-Urbain was important to Westheim, but not a strategic location to attack flying in from Nordland.

Besides, she already knew the truth when she heard the panicked SOS coming in over the radio from the Zola when Gumi had started to pull back to the coastline.

The Faerie Dust had been dropped on the city.  Hundreds dead from exposure.

Three more innocent Sudlanders losing a home, this time at the hands of people they'd trusted.

Nordland had never been the target.  Somehow, Luka knew it had to be the Prince.  Which meant that the gas might well linger in the area if they were hoping to kill him.

Naturally, this meant no return trip to where they came.  Gumi's photos of the Zola's maps revealed this tiny fishing village, and so they'd headed out to somewhere lower profile.

Nobody questioned why injured people were escaping to Bonneau.  They just kept their heads down, hoping they wouldn't be next.

"I think you should stop fussing with that patch.  You look quite lovely if I do say so myself!"

In the week since Saint-Urbain, Gakupo seemed on track to make a full recovery, and now Luka was having trouble figuring out how to handle him when he started in like this.  He was already up and about wandering their inn room.  "It's not for aesthetics!" Luka snapped, "I just need it to stand out as little as possible."

The first time Gakupo had taken a nap, she'd thought the man had _died_ from how still he was.  Given his health, she'd found herself violently shaking him, near tears at the idea she'd failed to preserve him.

Only for him to wake up with a stupid look on his face, asking why she was so worried.

Apparently, this doctor could sleep through an air raid siren even at peak health, she learned.

But even for someone that liked a good nap as much as him, the mandatory bed rest was doing him little good.

Luka had already changed into more casual clothing – a black shirt and loose white pants under thick black boots.  She knew walking around in trousers might in fact draw attention to her given the fashion, but she didn't want to be bothered trying to possibly fight off a Cinderella or worse in a dress.

Gumi was already off in town trying to scrounge up any sign of intel they could use to plot their next move.  If Kaito was heading for Westheim, he would have been stuck in Saint-Urbain.  She didn't even bother to consider that he might have died there – at this point, she simply took it for granted that he'd scraped by as per usual.

But now Luka was growing restless herself – Gumi may be a spy, but Luka had been a Cinderella.  Keeping her ear down was a talent of hers.  She'd only stayed at the Inn to keep an eye on her recovering patient.

"Gakupo, can you handle cooking for yourself or are you still a little light-headed?"

"Hmmm.  Well.  That."

Gakupo ran a hand through his long ponytail.  "I _think_ I can manage if it's simple…"

"You're still sick?"

He laughed nervously.  "W-well, it's more that… well, as Rin would say, I'm kind of a disaster in the kitchen on my own."

Luka examined the doctor more closely.  How in the world had someone like this gotten so far in life, let alone possessed the kind of talent he had in saving lives under extraordinary circumstances?

'Hmph… it's because he's clever in odd ways.'

She recalled how he'd easily defeated her with a smoke bomb stuffed full of ether back in the Rhune.

The door to the room popped open as Gumi filed in, taking off her long green coat and tossing it aside.  The girl's normally quiet manner made her hard to get a good read on, but even Luka could tell she was dejected.  "This town has been a bust… we're just too far out in the sticks!" she muttered, "Nobody worth anything out here… we'd be better off moving on.  Maybe there's a way to sneak through to Westheim… it's not a _big_ border like Saint-Urbani, but it's still a checkpoint…"  
  
For a spy, Gumi was surprisingly stumped at gathering intelligence.  Then a thought slipped into Luka's head.  "Gumi… you're not talking to everyone here in Estmarchian are you?"

"It's the only language out here I know," she fumed, "What else could I use?"

Of course… to truly get close to strangers, to truly trust her, they wouldn't talk to an outsider.  They'd trust someone who spoke their own tongue.

"Gumi, did anything strike you as odd?  Anyone in particular that seemed like they were out of place in this city?"

The photographer rested her camera on the table.  "I have some photos to develop of the docks that I snuck out.  Someone seems to be loading up an awful lot of supplies, but I don't know where they're going or who they're for."

"Good.  Develop the photos, and Gakupo and I will investigate the docks."

"Eh?!" The doctor sounded shocked.  "What do you expect me to do in all this?"

"You're going to make me look less odd.  You have a rather innocent look about you.  And I'll handle the _important_ part.  The Sudlandian."

"Innocent?  More like idiotic," Gumi said, "But that might work even better.  Okay, I'll get to work on the pictures, we'll see what we come up with."

Luka grabbed the doctor's hand before he could resist.  "Come now, we'll have a little convalescence.  I promise, we won't be running for our lives, so you should hold up just fine.  I'll even throw in a nice breakfast for us so you don't kill yourself from scorching oatmeal."

 

Miku stared out the window of her and Kaito's room as she watched the morning mist rise up out of the valley below.  A whole week with the Confedere had passed.  She'd quietly worried that somehow things would turn sour – that when Kaito's identity was revealed, someone would change sides and try to hurt him.  But so far… everything had remained calm. 

No bombings.

No Cinderellas.

But nobody could return to Saint-Urbain thanks to the contamination from the lingering gas.  The last evacuations took far too long given the lack of gas masks to use for civilians.  The route into Westheim was now even more complicated – yet it was so close.  She'd promised to see Kaito to safety, and she'd nearly completed it.

"Nice view, huh?"  
  
She turned to see Meiko wandering in, puffing on a lit cigarette.

"If you're looking for Kaito, he's meeting with the Commander right now," Miku said, "Against my better judgement, I'm letting the two of them try to work things out.  I can't imagine it's easy for her to speak to the son of her parent's murderers'."

Meiko leaned out on the window sill, watching the mist rise with Miku.  "She's a pragmatic sort," the brunette said, "He made a good impression before.  I like to think he'll get this diplomacy thing down once he's dealing with more genuine actors."

As the woman leaned out, Miku noticed the red silk flower pinned in her hair.  Looking at it more closely, she realized Meiko had worn it the night of the ball.  Why had she hung onto something like that this long?  But everything about Meiko seemed strange to her.  "Why are you still here?" Miku asked.

Meiko took a long drag on her cigarette.  "Because I had a mission to help the Crown, you know?  And in the long run, a mission to spare Nordland from war.  I'm pretty sure if we can get Kaito on the throne of Estmarch, we'll finally have some semblance of peace out here again."

"Just nationalism?" Miku asked.  Meiko didn't seem the type.

The singer cracked a smile.  "I became a spy because there's people I want to protect.  I was willing to give up my dream for a while to do that.  And I was willing to risk coming _here_ and getting caught in a war because there's one person I want more than anything."

She looked back to Miku and smirked.  "You can't tell me you don't understand that, given how close you are to him."

Meiko was only trying to make conversation.  She wasn't judging her.  But somehow… having it pointed out made Miku feel uncomfortable.  "I… I promised to take him to Westheim…" she said.

"Right…" the singer said, clearly doubting her.

"And I'm not with him right now because…"

She swallowed.

"…because I'm not necessary for his discussions with the Commander."

"I see."

The doubt in Meiko's voice started to unnerve her, but she got some relief when a familiar voice calling out to her.

"Miku, we finally made it!"

Two familiar blonde twins entered the bedroom and rushed over to her.  "Len, Rin!  You're both alive!"

Some of the tension released – she hadn't witnessed their deaths.  "But how did you get up here?!"

Rin smiled proudly.  "Len and I came up with the last of the evacuees from the university's hospital now that they're all well enough to travel."

"The hospital?  Wait… _you_ were in Saint-Urbain?!"

She looked both of the teenagers over carefully.  "But how did you survive… twice?!"

"Rin yanked me out of the car before it blew… and we managed to grab onto what was left of the bridge supports," Len explained.

"Heh… so that's why I didn't run into you in the gorge," Meiko laughed, "And then you just managed to not catch a bomb to the face."

Len patted his sister on the back.  "Better than that… Rin here was the one that came up with the cure for the Faerie Dust!"

"So… Kaito owes you another favor then," Miku said, a rare smile crossing her face.

"Wait, seriously?!  How did he get gassed, you guys should have come in through the mountains!" Len said in disbelief.

"Because he insisted on running into a clocktower in the gas zone to save a child from a burning building," Meiko added as she took another drag from her cigarette.

"Oh… should have guessed.  Suicidally protective as ever," Len quipped.

"Well then I'm glad I was able to help him out," Rin said, "There were plenty of people that… didn't make it."

It was strange to see someone as used to death as Rin was becoming unnerved by it.  'But Rin's been out of the Godmothers for years,' Miku thought to herself, 'I guess she's had time to lose that level of apathy.'

"LEN!  RIN!"

"Hey, I wonder who else is coming through that door next?" Meiko quipped as Kaito burst in, nearly out of breath.

"Ah, Kaito, are you sure it's safe for you to be running around like that?!" Miku said with worry, "Just a week ago you were barely breathing!"

He bent over and gripped at his thighs a moment to steady his breathing.  "S-sorry… it's just that word reached me and the Commander that there were two individuals seeking me out and when I realized it was you…"

The Prince straightened out, smiling brighter than Miku had seen in days.  "I'd thought I'd borne witness to your demise… I'm eternally grateful you survived.  And if I understand correctly, I owe you my life twice now."

"Well, Rin's the one that did the hard work, I was laid up coughing up my lungs," Len said, blushing.

"No way Len! If you hadn't gotten the Confedere out there to help, I never would have gotten the plants home safely!  Hee… you're still my Knight…"

The boy's face turned even redder at being called a "Knight."

"Kaito, what came out of the discussions with the Commander?" Miku asked, "Is the Confedere able to help us any further?"

"Right… about that…"

Kaito's jubilance tempered, tipping Miku off to the situation becoming more serious.  "We came to a mutual agreement.  The Confedere is willing to get us to Westheim.  And they're even willing to back my claim to the throne… but on two conditions."

"I assume one of them was freedom for Sudland," Meiko said knowingly.

"But of course," Kaito replied, "I see no reason to keep Sudland an Imperial territory.  But the more immediate concern is… she wants to test me one more time."

"What?!" Miku shouted.  How could anyone think Kaito wasn't loyal after what he'd already done?!  "You've already nearly died for them, what more do they expect?"

"Well, we've started to gather intelligence – thanks to Meiko –"

The singer gave a playful wink.

"- that's given us an indication of where the Faerie Dust is being manufactured.  They want to raid it… and Lily wants to know how well I can command my own unit.  She said she can't possibly trust the lives of Sudland to someone that doesn't know his way around an army."

"B… But you don't!  You never even left the castle until the coup!"

Miku realized how insulting her statement sounded, regretting Kaito's rather hurt expression in response.  "I mean… I studied military strategy.  I may never have lead an army before, but I think the small squad Lily is putting me in charge of should be more than enough to get a feel for it."

"Just a squad… good…" she said quietly.

"Do you really think I can't handle it?" Kaito asked quietly, only further making Miku feel guilty.  She was just worried for him – of watching him die in battle, even if it was only inevitable.

'We… we have so many enemies… what if it's a trap, or a Cinderella shows up, or…'

"Hey, you'll do fine, you've made it this far.  Besides, it's not like Miku or any of us won't back you up."

Meiko flicked her used cigarette out the window.  "You make the decisions, and we'll make sure they get done.  That's what a leader does."

Kaito appeared relieved at the vote of confidence.  Of course, Meiko was right… it's not that Kaito would be alone.

But still – the more he was in danger, the more Miku would worry.  If something _did_ happen… she'd already nearly lost him due to poor preparation in Saint-Urbain.

Her regular nightmares had yet to cease – that Kaito would die, and she would bear the responsibility.  She would appear garbed in white and steal everything from him with her knife, even as the thrones of his true murderers lay empty.

She could steal hear the voice whispering in her ear…

If Kaito died…

If she wasn't there to save him…

"The operation begins tonight, at sundown.  We should be able to move into position by then."

 

"Haaa… so unlucky… I come all the way to Sudland and nobody's selling macarons…" Gakupo grumbled.  Ever since he'd started to recover from his anemia, he'd developed quite the proper appetite again.

"Why do you keep fixating on that?" Luka whispered, "They're just a pastry."

"Welllllll because I've never had one of course."

"Then how can you be upset?!" Luka scolded.

He laughed cheerily.  "Well they look so nice in pictures!  But nobody in the capital favored Sudlandian pastries so I just had to imagine what they tasted like…"

Luka's frustration with him only seemed to grow as they walked through the barren streets.  But he couldn't help himself – as dour as everything was around him, he had to maintain some sense of cheer.  It kept him from dwelling too much on his own demons.  "You were a baker in your old life right?  Did you ever bake them?"

Luka didn't seem to blush easily, but right now she was.  "I… well, my mother had her own recipe for it but… I never learned it before the fire."

"When was the last time you got to try one?"

"The fire," she said sharply.

"So they even deprived you of sweets… how cruel…" Gakupo murmured.

"Shh!  Those trucks over there, they look off…" Luka murmured, "Okay, we need to get closer.  They're speaking in Sudlandian, and I need a cover to eavesdrop.  Can you manage that?"

"Ah, but what kind of cover?  I don't speak a word of it…"

But the doctor found himself dragged along close to the docks, not exactly sure how he was supposed to be Luka's cover but going along with it all the same.

"Hmmm… they're not locals.  They're trying to blend in…" Luka murmured.

Gakupo tried to strain his hearing more, but it did him little good as the men loading the truck up were speaking in swift Sudlandian.  "The question is how to get something out of them…" Luka said.

"Ah!  No, I have a better idea!  You don't need to talk to them, they need to talk to y _ou_!"

"What!?  Gakupo, we can't just!"

"Shhhh… just pretend to be mute!" he said.

She didn't seem happy taking directions, but she did seem to start following his odd logic… as Gakupo grasped her hand and lead her directly along the water front.  "Now, see Luka?!  Isn't this a lovely view of the ocean?!  Surely this convalescence will do _wonders_ for your recovery!"

One of the men, confused, walked up to Gakupo and stood in the way of his path, shouting at him in Sudlandian.  "Um… pardon?" he said innocently.  Which wasn't hard given that he couldn't speak the tongue at all.

The man looked confused, then barked something at Luka.  She took her cue well, shrinking back from the man like she were some innocent young waif.  "Um… I'm sorry sir, you don't happen to speak Estmarchian do you?"

The man looked annoyed.  " _Merde_ ", he muttered under his breath.

Gakupo wasn't sure what that one meant except that Luka would occasionally say it when she was angry enough, so he was _pretty_ sure he understood the intent.

"You and the girl… you both need to leave.  We are busy.  We have enough trouble around here without your type."

"What is the matter, can your girl not speak?"

Gakupo clicked his tongue.  "I'm sorry to say, the two of us are just getting a walk in along the waterfront.  She's a patient of mine.  We're both refugees from the Loyalist fighting and I had to patch her up.  But the shock of her injuries and the trauma of the fight has rendered the poor girl mute, you see."

The lack of focus in Luka's gaze only seemed to further underscore the point.  "Sorry, we'll get out of your hair, we just wanted to see the ocean!"

The man harrumphed but let Gakupo pass.  He and his "mute" companion walked past the truck.  "Ah, see Luka!  My, just think, there might be ice on these shores when the water chills enough!"

He could hear the conversation continuing unabated, making sure to settle down close enough to the dock that he could still catch snatches of the foreign tongue.  Suddenly Luka grabbed his hand tightly and he hoped that meant she'd heard all she needed as the truck pulled away.

"Those supplies… they were several crates filled with Saint Maribel's Vines… and they're taking them to industrial Sherbrooke."

"Wait… Agathea merinosa?" Gakupo asked, recalling the scientific name, "But why?"

"Because it's a toxin… induces immediate blindness and can choke out the lungs…"

He realized what Luka was implying.  "Is that… is that what you think they make Faerie Dust out of?"

She looked around the port for anyone else.  "Let's grab Gumi, I think I can work out where they're going… we still have no leads on the Prince, but if we were to take out a facility that creates Faerie Dust, he has a much higher chance of survival.  So, Gumi and I will head out and-"

"No."

She looked at him suspiciously.  "Do you intend to stop me?" she asked coldly.

"No, I intend to join you."

She gaped at him.  "You were inches from death a week ago!  You _still_ have anemia symptoms!  If you go running around out there…"

"You had major surgery a week ago, lost an eye, and I'll remind you I'm anemic because of _your_ critical blood loss.  We're both in quite ill health."

And he wasn't going to send people to die again.  If she would risk her life, he would do the same.  "Now, unless you want _Gumi_ to do this _alone_ …"

"Stubborn.  Idiot."

She pulled a pistol out of her jacket and placed it in his hand.  "This is my condition.  Only come with me if you can use this."

He stared at the lump of metal in his hand, trying to imagine himself pointing it at another human and drawing blood.  'No, I'll be clever like last time… I don't have to kill anyone if I do it right.'

'But I won't be a coward again, Luka.  I promise.'

 

_"Oh, what a show!  You never get tired of the sound of applause, do you?"_

_The singer reclined on a small couch in her hotel room, the photographer following close behind.  "Well, I kept the ambassador's eyes on me all night, how did it go for you?"_

_The photographer set down her camera bag and began to root through it.  "We'll know soon enough," she said matter-of-factly, "I wonder if I have enough for color…"_

_The singer was already pouring herself a glass of wine for a job well done.  "Eh?  I thought you weren't wasting the color chemicals on work."_

_"I'm not."_

_The photographer carefully removed a small box from her bag, showing uncharacteristic nervousness as she approached the singer.  "You… you don't look right… with just that headband…"_

_"Really?" The brunette looked intrigued._

_The photographer handed her the box, her fingers trembling as the singer opened it up._

_Inside was a lovely red silk rose hair pin._

_"Red… the photos of you… look better in red…" she stammered._

_Was she being too forceful?  What was she supposed to say?!  She had no idea what was expected…_

_The singer removed her headband and pinned the flower into her hair.  "Well?" she asked, "How does it look?"_

_For a moment the photographer hesitated… before reaching out and grabbing the flower, adjusting it to the perfect symmetry with her face and trying not to blush as her fingers wove through the singer's soft hair.  She didn't even stop her – most people acted shocked when she'd behave like this, scolding her for her misunderstanding…_

_But not the brunette.  "Did you want one last photo?" she asked._

_The photographer found her words catching in her throat. She stepped back and raised her camera.  Through the lens, her shield from the world, all she could see was the brilliant color red and she wanted nothing more but to drown in red as she snapped the shutter…_

Infiltrating the area had been surprisingly easy – between Gumi and Luka's skills, even Gakupo had no trouble slipping in behind them.  Now his only worry was the same that the others by his side would struggle with.

How to safely remove the chemical manufacturing facility without killing everyone inside of it. After all, blowing up the tanks would inevitably release the toxin so quickly that anyone not already masked up would die in moments.

On the other hand, this was still a military operation, as the watchtower close to the facility indicated.  Every few minutes orders would be barked out in Sudlandian.  So possibly killing that many soldiers would make their escape easier… but there were almost certainly civilians inside as well…

Right now the three intruders had gathered just out of sight of the factory, hiding behind a massive truck.  "I don't have much in the way of munitions," Gumi said, "Probably just enough to start blowing up the tanks.  But I still need some kind of distraction to get in…"

Luka peeked out around the side with her good eye.  "Hmph… they're going all out.  Seen the mounted machine guns?" Luka said as she pointed at an installation along the thick wall surrounding the complex.

"Hmmmm… how to get it and get everyone out before we blow it up… my, terrorism is awfully complicated…" Gakupo commented.

"I highly doubt you have enough ether to knock them all unconcious," Luka said cheekily.

"He did what?!"

"Eh… well, it was a bit reckless but everyone survived!  I was even able to get Rin's leg patched up before she woke up!"

Still… he didn't have ether but he _did_ have something in his medical supplies…

"Ah, did you see any kind of ventilation outlets?" he asked.

Luka peeked out again.  "Ah… yes, up there…"

She pointed towards a conspicuous pipe on the roof of the building.

"Gumi or I could infiltrate from there and plant the explosives… but…"

Gakupo dove into his bag of medical supplies with an excited smile and pulled out a small jar of a faint green liquid.  "Wait, that's an antibiotic!" Luka said, "How is going to…"

"Well, didn't the reports say the gas smelled like mint?" Gakupo said with a grin, "I can't put anyone to sleep with this, it's just a bonding agent for casts, but when you burn it… if we were to slip that into the vent, the mint smell would go everywhere and make them _think_ there's a leak!"

"… so this is a two part plan then," Gumi said, "We need someone to plant the gas and someone to take out the gate guard and sound an evacuation."

"Okay… Gakupo, follow me up into the tower," Luka said, "The announcer is male, so they'll be suspicious if a female voice suddenly calls it out."

"Wait, what?!  I'm supposed to get up _there?!_ "

"You should be able to see the vent from the roof too," Gumi added, "Give me some kind of signal over the loudspeaker and I'll use that to determine when to head inside."

 

_The men were always surrounding her.  Wanting a part of her.  Wanting to possess her.  They didn't understand what truly made her shine every night on stage!_

_Why did any of this matter?  Only the missions mattered.  She wasn't here to be the singer's friend, boon companion, or anything else.  She was hear to protect Nordland.  To keep war from disrupting her home.  The long peace was something she wanted more than anything, and she was willing to give up her beloved photographs._

_And yet as the man with the thin mustache stroked at the singer's chin while she laughed playfully, an uncharacteristic fire burned in the photographer's heart.  How dare he?!_

_How dare… she?_

_He began to touch the rose in her hair and the photographer felt her eyes begin to sting…_

_The singer slapped his hand away, carefully stroking the rose._

_"I think we're done here."_

_The singer's playfulness grew cold.  "B-but wait!  My hotel room is open to you!  Please, I must have you-"_

_She turned around and eyed him coldly.  "I don't belong to any man."_

_Her hand touched the photographer's shoulder, beckoning her along.  Silently, she followed in her footsteps, until they were alone in their hotel room.  Finally, the singer's tension released._

_"I'm sorry… I blew that, didn't I?" she apologized, "I just… don't want him touching this."_

_"The rose?"_

_The photographer's cheeks heated up as the singer looked over to her.  Was she… nervous?_

_"Yes, it's something very important!  The most important gift I've ever gotten!"_

_Her emotions began to clutter – she was so used to being able to hide herself behind the camera as a shield, but she felt completely naked under the singer's vulnerable gaze.  What was she supposed to do?_

_"I… I'm sorry, maybe I misread things," the singer said, turning away quickly, "This is just a mission after all… we don't really know each other and…"_

_"NO!"_

_The singer's brown eyes returned to the photographer.  She'd never seen the girl raise her voice before._

_"You… you haven't… I… I… I…"_

_But the wretched words, the tongue she needed to stay steady, it still wouldn't come even as tears started to fall from her eyes._

_She felt the singer's approach as she drew the girl into a soft, comforting hug.  The tears fell more freely now, but not from fear.  From the release.  She leaned deeper into the hug, welcoming the embrace of red…_

Another car trip – and for the first time, Miku didn't have Kaito with her.  Though neither of them had wanted it, it only made sense for him to ride up with the other squad leaders this time.  She would rendezvous with him later.  She had to accept this – if he was stepping up to become a Prince, there were places he had to be that she wouldn't be able to join him.

Besides… she'd already hurt him…

"It's hard as hell sending the person you love out to war isn't it?"

She glanced up to the brunette sitting at her side.  "I… well…"

The singer laughed.  "Hey, you don't have to say anything.  I know a couple in love when I see one."

This only made Miku blush further.  It was one thing to be open and honest with Kaito but it was still strange being open about it with other people… people who would judge her…

"You want to be out there, at their side.  You want to protect them from the world.  You know at any minute you could die and you accept that, but you know you'll fall apart if _they_ die…"

Miku took note of the flower in Meiko's hair.  Was she planning to wear that right onto a battlefield?

"How do you handle it?  You and Gumi, you're both spies… you had to know this was going to happen…"

Meiko folded her hands into her lap.  "This was the first time it became real…" she said.  Despite her somber words, Meiko still smiled.  "We… we almost quit actually.  Part of my cover required that I appeal more to men, and I couldn't do that if they knew I was taken.  We were about to make the announcement and then… a certain Prince's invitation showed up."

"Wait… you hid your relationship because of _Kaito_?!"

The singer's hands tightened together, her fingers interlocking.  "Sometimes… and you'll know when that time is… you'll have to make a choice.  Between your happiness and something greater.  We were going to retire after the war, so what did one more mission with me tempting a lovestruck prince matter if it meant ending that war before it had a chance to start?"

'Kaito… would feel terrible if he knew he'd kept Meiko from happiness…' Miku thought to herself.

"We never planned on _this_ … but we were trained.  Infiltration, warfare.  We never knew when we would need it.  So… so what I do… is I have faith in her.  That everything we were together, we can still be apart.  Because we’re both still alive and somewhere out there, Gumi's fighting and worrying just as hard as me."

She looked back over to Miku and tilted her head at her.  "See, you just keep Kaito in your sight and he'll be safe.  Promise!"

Now Miku wasn't entirely sure if the pep talk was actually intended for herself… or for Meiko.  But she tried to take some comfort from it.  Loving Kaito was entirely different from defending him.

"There's the site!" Meiko called out, "Okay, get ready, we're coming in hot!"

 

Gakupo stayed steady behind Luka as they snuck into the watchtower.  Somehow she'd led him out of sight… so that was one step down.  They just had to keep climbing.

Luka burst in through the door at the top – Gakupo couldn't believe how fast she moved as she took out the two guards left inside.  'Was she practicing how to balance all over again while I was recovering!?' he thought as he watched her disable them in seconds, all without disturbing the microphone.

She gestured to the panel.  "Your move.  Gumi should be planting the smoke bombs."

He took a deep breath and stepped up to the microphone.  "Attention all personnel!  Evacuate the chemical compound!  There's a chemical gas leak and we don't have much time!  I repeat!  A gas leak is spreading through the facility!"

He held his breath, hoping it would have the reaction he wanted… when he saw people begin to stream out.  "I was right…" he said with the microphone off, "Most of the people leaving aren't in uniform… they were just civilians."

He heard Luka's tortured gasping and whirled around, seeing a man holding her in a choke hold with a pistol to her head.  "Who the hell do you think you are?!" the intruder shouted, "You're not Dawn!  Put your weapon down or I'll blow her damn head off!"

Gakupo tried to hold up his own pistol… he tried to will his fingers around the trigger… he knew where the heart was on him and how precisely he could hit it without hitting Luka… but… his fingers began to shake…

And then the enemy sailed over Luka's head as she recovered and flipped him to the floor, the gun going off and shooting the radio, creating a loud radio feedback in the process.  Gakupo dropped his own gun and covered his ears as he watched the man drop as Luka choked him into unconsciousness.

"Dammit… I couldn't do it… I was a coward… I wasn't…"

Luka picked up the gun off the floor and handed it back to him.  "You were a distraction to him.  It worked out fine."

She grimaced.  "Come on, let's go.  Gumi said she could handle the rest."

 

Gumi kept her gas mask on tight as she set the last timed charge on the gas tank.  She'd already calculated the size of the explosion would largely contain the toxin inside the building… rather than just releasing a massive poison cloud over the whole area.

"Ready… run!"

She set the timer and began her wild sprint.  The clockwork mechanisms only gave her four minutes.

In training, she'd been able to beat timed smoke bombs in three.

'But that was with Meiko…'

She tried to imagine Meiko waiting for her to hear how the mission had gone… and her footsteps picked up.  She just wanted to return to her and be done with hanging around strangers that didn't understand her.

She followed the last of the fleeing workers as the "gas" smoke continued to flow…. And she ran out into the sunlight, ready to meet her comrades…

The size of the explosion in the facility almost knocked her to the ground as glass shattered above her.  She ducked down to avoid the shards.  "It… it shouldn't have been that big!" she gasped, "Was the liquid form more flammable than we thought?!"

She saw a burst of fire fly out as the roof caved into a massive hole.

"Gumi, come on!  We need to go!" Luka called out, "We've drawn too much attention as it is!"

She got back to her feet and tried to maintain her momentum.  Fine, they'd have to deal with more soldiers but the gas was _gone_.  She'd still succeeded!  She could hear gunfire in the distance – coming her way…

"That convoy, over there!" Gakupo shouted, pointing to a massive truck, "We can take that out of here!"

That was when Gumi heard the sound of a plane's engine… she slammed into the ground to try and get out of the way of the gunfire as it riddled the pavement…

She found herself staring right into the guns as the plane looped around for another pass at her and she… she felt tears.  She was never going to see Meiko again.

The plane was suddenly riddled with mounted machine gun bullets.  Gumi managed to get out of its path as it crashed, the frightened pilot bailing on it before it exploded. 

"GET THE HELL AWAY FROM HER YOU SON OF A BITCH!"

Gumi looked up at the woman at the gun and her heart leapt for joy as she saw the familiar red coat and brown hair… and the brilliant red rose…

"MEIKO!"

The woman leapt away from the machine gun as it soon as it was under fire, but Gumi forgot all sense of safety as she rushed up to her, tearing away her gas mask.  There may as well not have been a battlefield as she wrapped her arms around her beloved, tearful and happy as her emotions melted.

"God… you're alive…" Meiko whispered.

There were no more words as Meiko drew her partner into a swift kiss.  "Come on, chin up… we've got a battle to fight!" she said with a laugh.

 

"Fan out and cut off their escape!  Make sure to let the civilians get past!" Kaito barked out.

The feeling of people actually _listening_ to him was exhilarating as the small squad of Confedere troops with him took up formations at his word.  He'd sent Meiko ahead to try and scout out where the factory might be – a useless gesture as she was just barely out of sight when he heard the explosion.  "Kaito!  These people don't have much of a will to fight!" Miku shouted as she surveyed the field.

The sound of a plane crashing drew their attention further away.  "I… I suppose Meiko might have been involved in that…" he said with a small laugh.

He glanced back and saw that the Confedere had effectively set up blockades at the exit.  This installation was surprisingly sparsely guarded.  'That could well mean it's not their only one,' he thought grimly, 'They could afford to lose this one… or… possibly…'

So many of the voices in the city spoke Sudlandian.  Did they even know what the poison was for?  Did they have the news of what happened in Saint-Urbain, to their own people?

"S-Stop right there, you monster!"

Kaito found his path forward in the city's streets blocked by three unruly young men, each with their guns drawn.  "You think we didn't recognize you?!" the black-haired youth shouted in a thick Sudlandian accent, "You butchered Saint-Urbain, didn't you, you dog of Shion!"

"I assure you, I had no role in the bombing of Saint-Urbain!" Kaito protested, "I'm here to stop another one from happening.  The Dawn…"

"The Dawn told us you've infiltrated the Confedere!  That you hijacked the plane!" the blonde yelled, "It was going to go to Nordland!  It… it wasn't supposed to…"

"The lengths Tonio is going to cover up his misdeeds…" Miku said, "The pilot might have been a Cinderella herself…"

For a moment he saw the same hate in their eyes that he remembered in Luka's.  The eyes of someone who'd lost everything.  They were about his age, all of them.  And he knew the pain they were suffering now.  "Did you have family there?" he asked innocently.

"D-Don't speak of them!  You… you can't…"

The brunette looked nearly broken down.  "I'm sorry for your loss," he said calmly, "I repeat… I had no involvement with the bombing.  Commander Lily took me in with the Confedere after I survived the bombing myself.  I'm helping her to liberate this city… and I intend to rid the world of the Faerie Dust so no one else suffers to it."

He saw Miku tensing up her muscles – she was ready to leap into action if she had to.

"Prove it then.  Go up to the watchtower… and claim this city for a free Sudland."

The black-haired man looked stern.  "We're tired of being lied to."

Finally… Kaito's compassion had worked.  "Let's go Miku," Kaito said, "Lead the way."

 

The loud speaker screeched to life one last time, bringing the news to everyone in Sherbrooke, soldiers and fleeing civilians alike.

_"People of Sherbrooke.  The Confedere de Lys has arrived to liberate your city from the Emerald Dawn."_

"No… no more liberators… no more!" screamed a crying woman as she huddled with her children.

_"We only have one demand – that the chemical weapons factory stay out of production.  The attack on Saint-Urbain was a wretched atrocity that cannot be repeated."_

  
Miku watched Kaito carefully as he spoke clearly.  Only she was attuned enough to him to notice the stress in his face as he tried to express his heart.  She placed a hand on his shoulder – she was not to speak, only to provide comfort.  She believed in him – the Prince who had survived every attack slung at him entirely out of the belief in the righteousness of his cause.

_"As of today, there will be no more war in this city.  Your people will be allowed to live their lives in peace is they so choose.  We will not draft your soldiers.  Everyone that lays down their arms will be… free to go."_

'Lily's not going to like that,' Miku thought to herself, 'She probably didn't count on Kaito's forgiveness…'

_"I… I am Prince Kaito, last scion of House Shion.  Words alone cannot repair the crimes committed against you in my family's name.  But I promise that I will not stand in your way.  The war in Estmarch will end… today, Sherbrooke becomes the first freed city of Sudland."_

He released the microphone and let out all his breath at once.  "I hope it worked…" he said.

 

Gakupo was sitting in the bed of the convoy truck with Luka, taking in the speech he'd just heard.  "Incredible," he said, "I wish I was that smooth with words, it'd do me some good!"

Cheers began to erupt in the streets.  He took a chance to peek over the truck and saw… the Dawn soldiers beginning to lay down their weapons, surrendering to the Confedere.

"It worked… he really did it…" Gakupo whispered.

"It's better this way…" Luka said.

The doctor looked over to her and saw her wiping a tear from her eye.  "Maybe he really can do what he thinks he can…" she said softly.

Gakupo turned back to watch the streets as the tension from the fighting ended, people desperately coming out of their homes to try and make sense of the scene that had just played out.  "Luka… I'm sorry I lost the nerve…" he started to say, taking the pistol out of his coat and setting it down in the truck bed.

"No.  You shouldn't have to stain your soul the way I have."

She wiped the tears from her face and stood up, reaching out her hand to Gakupo to help him stand.  "We should probably catch up to him.  There may still be a place for us yet."

 

"Dammit… I can't believe you really said all that…"

Lily was seated at a long table in a local pub with Kaito on the end.  The Confedere had requested the space to meet away from the crowds.  After the speech Kaito had given, he'd barely had a moment of free time as the people clamored over, trying to confirm that the man who'd promised them freedom was truly the same prince that had been declared dead and forgotten.

After so many years of being sequestered from his tasks, from being sheltered and hidden from the world, from having his every word deflected and ignored… Kaito was finally starting to feel important.

"I just spoke earnestly," he said, "Sudlanders shouldn't be forced to fight each other.  And I meant what I said – I intend to see to a free Sudland."

"Heh… you remember the other countries your parents swallowed up too, right?" Lily reminded him, "Estmarch is going to get a lot smaller if you're serious.  Can you handle that?"

His parents had always spoken of the great empire he would one day inherit.  Maybe they never truly intended for Kaito to rule – maybe somehow they'd always planned on disposing of him after making him into a symbol.  "To me… that empire… is built on blood.  It would never stand.  The crisis now is quite manufactured, but the people that joined the Dawn and the Confedere would have risen up.  Even if it were not my _conscience_ compelling me, surely it would be more pragmatic to release them?"

"So you can still talk a good game," Lily said in awe, "Well, you've earned my allegiance.  I'm pretty sure after today the Confedere will back you too.  You're still planning on Westheim though?"

"Of course… my uncle is there.  He should be able to help-"

"Westheim isn't a monarchy, Prince," Lily interrupted gruffly.  "They've been a democracy for over a hundred years.  And they cherish their _neutrality_."

She crossed her arms tightly.  "They didn't lift a finger for Sudland even when the war pushed right up against their border."

But her expression softened.  "Still… they say it's a place where all voices carry the same weight.  Maybe Sudland should be like that when it comes back…"

"You don't intend to become Queen?" Kaito asked in surprise.

"Sudland… has lived eleven years without the LaFleurs.  And my parents' cowardice condemned them to fall.  I can't impose royalty on them again."

A knock on the bar door led to a stop in the conversation.  "Who goes there?" Miku called out.

"Why, it's your doctor here, ready for your latest checkup!"

At once the serious conversation fled Kaito's mind.  He rushed to the door and flung it open himself.  "Gakupo, Luka… even Gumi!  Meiko… you must be happy to have her back."

He beckoned the four of them inside.  "Commander LaFleur, these three… they were instrumental in my escape from Estmarch."

Luka blinked as she looked over the Commander.  "LaFleur?" she said, "So the rumors _are_ true… you even look like the Queen…"

"I don't suppose it was you three that…"

"Ah, well, that was Gumi that did the explosions," Gakupo said with a nervous laugh, "Luka and I just played around with the speakers in the watchtower to evacuate the factory first."

"So that explains the lack of casualties… good thinking," Lily said, "Plus that stunt of yours really screwed up their defense.  All that chaos broke us through much quicker than we anticipated."

She stood up from the table.  "Well, I think we've said our piece.  Tomorrow we'll plan how to enter Westheim.  Tonight, we're going to take a much-needed rest.  We need to recoup after the battle… find out if anyone here is interested in joining up… figure out supplies… and do some good old-fashioned drinking."

Meiko seemed to perk up at the mention of alcohol.  "Oh, is there any decent wine here?" she asked cheerfully.

Kaito noticed how tightly Gumi seemed to cling to Meiko.  Like she feared ever being separated from her again.

He looked back to Miku who seemed lost in thought at the table.  For all he'd given her, she still possessed the same sadness in her hear that was there when they'd first met.

'Miku…'

'Miku… this war will end.  And then you and I… will have nothing else to fear.'

 

_"Even if my way is thorny, I'll protect you whom I like… I like… I love…"_

_The photographer's shutter captured the red rose in the singer's hair as she performed on the stage in the royal palace, surrounded by white masks.  In the audience, in rapturous attention, was the blue-haired prince._

_The man who had delayed so many things._

_The man that would decide their future whether he realized it or not._

_She circled around, making as if she was gathering more angles on the singer, making sure to get a few shots with more of the crowd.  Even with the masks of white, there was always a chance any one of these aristocrats could matter._

_"Even if I get broken… The sky of redness endlessly spread…"_

_Red… red, the color that swallowed her up and soothed her.  Red, the color that excited her heart and filled her with life.  Red, the color that she would die for._

_"Though it's a hopeless world... I love you…"_

_The singer's eyes tracked straight into the shutter and for a moment the photographer thought her heart would stop._

_"Forever and ever…"_

_She closed the shutter, capturing the glorious red that was the person she loved…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gakupo's macaron (aka macaroon) obsession is actually just me injecting more of my real life into this story – there's a lot of nice pastries in Montreal, and well, the French are known for their baking!
> 
> So in approaching Meiko and Gumi's relationship, I'll chat a little about how it came about.  I always intended for them to be spies working together – it was much later that I liked the idea of them being a couple drawn together by the approach of a war.  It's not a "ship" that I've ever encountered or one I'd think of, but for this story and their characterizations here, it's been a fun one to think about.  Love blooming out of common purpose.  But that left me with a quandry – in the actual early 20th century, homosexuality was a straight up crime in Europe.  Do I portray this honestly and show the struggles of two people trying to love each other in a time period hostile to that?
> 
> I chose the fantasy – this is already a world with made up countries and laws and even poisons and weapons.  So I simply decided that in this universe, it's as mundane as any relationship.  So people can read this story and actually see a lesbian couple participating in history, in leading roles, in a way that a completely historically accurate work could not.
> 
> The MeiGumi flashbacks came out of me waffling on doing a side story about how Gumi and Meiko meet and fall in love.  The scenes you see here are what I'd come with for that hypothetical – and my realizing that I didn't have enough of a plot for a one shot out of just those, but they would work integrated into this narrative if given their own chapter.  And you have no idea how long I've been waiting to get to Meiko cursing out a plane while firing a machine gun ;)
> 
>  **Song Credits:** The song interspersed throughout the story is Maya's "Red Reflection."  If you couldn't tell from the "blueness" lyric, it's actually a pretty obvious KaiMei song (the PV make it even more explicit), but it is sung only by Meiko, and I liked the theme of the color red for this chapter.  Maybe that's why Gumi got jealous about the song ;)
> 
>  **Art Credit:** I found this Magnet image on Zerochan, and it appears to be created by Nez-doll, though his pixiv account is now gone.  He still has an active Piapro account but it does not contain this image.


	14. The Glass Slipper Melts in Ashes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bairn, capital of Westheim and Kaito and Miku's final destination. A speech, an assault, a grand ball... and a question.
> 
> Why does Cinderella run away?

Kaito had never witnessed such a raucous celebration as the one going on around him in the Sherbrooke pub.  Every party he'd ever attended had been dictated by manners and custom, with tight structure and decorum.  So in the face of people dancing on tables, shouting, and downing pints of beer with reckless abandon, he felt completely out of sorts.  It was invigorating to be so surrounded by life, but also isolating as he had little idea of how to conduct himself.

_"Cheerful voices pass across out of the bluuuuuuuuuue! Passed days were left with "0" and "1!" What's breaking my heaaaaaaaaaaaaart? Relinquishment? Or nostalogiiiiiic?!"_

Meiko had commandeered a stage for herself, and even when she was clearly well past sobriety, her vocal talent still shone through.  He wasn't sure if the crowd knew she actually was  _the_  Meiko, but they were certainly cheering her on.

 _"M-E-I-K-O!  M-E-I-K-O!  YEAAAAA!"_  the crowd began to chant.

"She's rather impressive, isn't she?"

The purple-haired doctor took a seat at Kaito's table.  "Where's your friend?"

"Ah… Miku wanted to be outside…" he said awkwardly, "I don't think she handles crowds like this well."

"Hmmm…. Luka mentioned something like that…" Gakupo said putting a finger to his chin, "I hope it's not because of… well… that business."

Len plopped down at the table with the older men.  "Eh?  Isn't Rin with you?" Gakupo asked, "It seemed like you two were nearly inseparable!"

The blonde glanced towards the door to the outside.  "I think she wanted a moment with Miku and Luka," he said, "They have… history."

Suddenly he stared right up at Kaito.  "Now what's up with you?!  This is a party in  _your_  honor you know!  Why are you sitting still?!  You're not even drinking!"

Now Kaito's nervousness crept back up.  "W-w-well, this is a little unusual for me… It's not a situation I'm used to and I-"

The blonde looked particularly sly.  "Now this isn't like you, you were the guy that wanted to check  _every_  rundown shop and sausage place in the Rhune!  Now you're huddled in as corner and too scared to have a bunch of drinks with the guys?!  C'mon Gakupo, we need to help our poor Prince out!"

Kaito looked to Gakupo for help but saw only another conspirator.  "All right then!  Let's start him with a blonde ale and see where we go from there!" the doctor cheered, "Bartender, we need pints, and lots of them!"

_"M-E-I-K-O!  M-E-I-K-O!"_

_"NOSTALOGIC!"_   
  


Westheim.  They were finally going to Westheim.

Miku's long journey to protect Kaito was about to end.

Securing Sherbrooke secured them another path through the border beside the one being fortified at the ruins of Saint-Urbain.  A telegram had already been sent across the wires directly to Kaito's uncle.  They were waiting on word from him to see if he could bring them in.

His uncle was a well-connected politician.  Hopefully that meant they could waive him through without trouble, political crisis or not.

After that…

As Miku pulled her coat closer to fend off the cold, she heard the door to the tavern open.  She glanced up and saw Luka step through the threshold, her patched eye facing her.  Luka didn't see the girl until she turned her head more thoroughly… then she seemed to be trying quite hard not to look at her.  "I didn't realize you were here," she said coldly.

She began to shuffle awkwardly away from her.  Miku wasn't entirely sure what to say – this woman had been responsible for so much of her torture at the hands of the Godmothers.  A part of her had trouble addressing her as an equal at all.

But Luka had nearly given her life to save Kaito, still bearing the permanent injury from that attempt.

"Hey, there's nothing fun out here, you two!"

Rin slipped through the tavern door, where the sounds of the laughter and joy continued.  "Ah… well… I'm not… that good with it…" Miku stammered.

Was  _everyone_  going to notice her out here?  She didn't want to be surrounded by people… she never felt comfortable with it.  She only made it through the ball because of the mission and-

"Come on Miku, what did we talk about?  One step at a time."

She glanced towards the door, where she could barely make out the party intensifying inside.  "I think that might be more steps than I'm ready for…"

Rin leaned up against the wall.  "Well… you two still shouldn't be by yourselves in the cold."

The blonde looked over to Luka.  "I didn't really get a chance to do it before but… thanks for taking care of Gakupo.  I know he's not easy to deal with, but I owe him a lot."

"Ah… he… well, he wasn’t so bad…"

"So what'd you do the first time he took a deep nap on you?"

Luka's head seemed to twitch.  "I just shook him a little… I thought he'd died."

Rin started to laugh.  "Oh, it's a lot faster if you hit him!  He gave me a scare the first time it happened to me…"

Miku tried to imagine the small girl wailing on the rather tall older man, and had difficulty picturing it.  But she was also failing to understand what Rin's plan was.  'She came to speak to me after we joined up… but…'

She watched Luka, who still refused to watch either of them.  '… Luka was a handler for both of us.  Surely we don't have that similarity.'

"I'm glad you're safe too," the girl added, "I was super-worried at first but when I saw Gakupo take off with you… I was pretty sure that you'd make it."

Luka started to clutch her sides, slumping down the wall slightly.  "You're… surprisingly forgiving.  I thought you'd be more like Miku."

Now Miku felt even more awkward being called out for her internal conflict.  "I trained you both to kill after all."

"None of us are without sin."

Miku wasn't used to hearing Rin talk like  _this_.  "Rin…?"

The blonde began to kick at the snow with her boots.  "We were all pulled in to this against our wills… right?  And we've tried the best we can to patch ourselves up again.  Sometimes it works… sometimes it doesn't.  Sometimes I'm okay… sometimes I do something crazy like try to save Len over me.  And wind up okay anyway because I turned out to be immune to poison gas."

In spite of the serious words, Rin still had a soft smile on her face.  "I can't speak for Miku, but for me… I remember what it was to be there and what it felt to be broken into nothing.  I wasn't sure at first if you were broken beyond repair or not until Gakupo vouched for you.  So I wanted to at least let him try to prove it.  And… you slipped more than once, but you eventually did the right thing.  So… if I can start forgiving myself, I can forgive any of the lost Cinderellas."

Suddenly the din from inside the tavern started to grow.  Rin cracked open the door and gasped.  "You… you guys have to see this!"

Miku crept over behind Rin and couldn't believe what she was looking at.  Kaito, Gakupo, and Len were standing on top of a stage, all three of them having a slight red tint to their faces, singing at the top of their lungs.

 _"My heart has been bewildered by you beyond imagination. Upon seeing the snow, moon, and flowers, I think about youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!"_ Gakupo belted.

 _"I was unable to divert my eyes, as they had been captured by your bewitching figure with a fan held in one hand!"_  Kaito followed.

"How… how much did they drink?!" Rin said.

Miku had  _never_  seen Kaito this unrestrained as he flailed around on the stage, cheered on by a wild Meiko as Gumi circled the stage gathering photos.  "We should never have left them alone," she whispered.

"Is… is that Gakupo's… 'charming' smile?" Luka asked oddly.

_"Unable to meet, my thoughts for you overflow in this tedious night of long rain! The river of my teeeeeeeears keeps soaking my sleeves, but still there's no way for us to meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet!"_

"Huh… the three of them harmonize pretty well," Rin laughed, "Though I've heard that song before… uh… is Len singing the girl's parts?"

She poked her head back out.  "Um… it's up to you guys if you want to come in, but… I feel like I need to keep an eye on them before they do something  _really_  crazy."

Fine.  Miku didn't have to party the way they were, but she could at least stay warm.

As Rin slipped inside, Miku pressed her hand in front of the door before Luka entered.  The pink-haired woman looked at her oddly.  "What?"

"I… I haven't decided whether… I forgive you," Miku said quietly, "But none of us would have made it this far without you.  So… even if I can't forgive you, I  _will_  trust you.  Don't… don't break that."

 

"Ohhh…. Nobody said it would feel like this when it wore off…" Kaito moaned, holding his throbbing head in the much emptier pub.

" _How_  much did you have?" Miku asked, rubbing his shoulders tenderly.

"I just tried to keep up with Gakupo and Meiko… so… four or five pints?" he muttered.

"Yea… that was a lot, Kaito…" she said sympathetically.

"Awww, c'mon, it was fun!" Meiko said, her face as red as her coat, "I'll bet you and I could go another few rounds!"

Kaito looked utterly horrified at the concept of drinking even one more drop of alcohol.  "Please, have mercy…" he pleaded.

The brunette playfully ruffled his hair.  "Fine, fine, you're still young, you'll grow into it," she teased.

'Aren't they the same age?' Miku thought to herself.

The partying had finally started to die down, leaving just Kaito, Miku, and their small strange group of allies that had survived the trip across Estmarch with them.  Gumi kept hovering around with her camera – Miku was somewhat worried about what kind of photos she might have gotten of Kaito.  Miku had never seen the young Prince act so wildly as when he was at the height of drunkness… but even if he was regretting his choice of drinks as he clutched at his no-doubt woozy stomach, she still saw a faint trace of a smile.  And it had done wonders for the morale of his newer allies to see the Prince drinking with them as equals.

"Westheim… tomorrow I'll finally be in Westheim…" he murmured happily, "I can't wait to see Uncle Naoto again… it's been years…"

He looked around to every one of his new allies.  "I… I have all of you to thank.  You've all sacrificed so much for me, and I can't even begin to express my gratitude."

"It was certainly a fascinating journey!" Gakupo laughed, "I never thought the night that Miku dragged you into my clinic would lead me as far as blowing up a weapons factory!"

"I never thought that the spoiled noble the Duke sent me to chaperone would help me find my dead sister…" Len said somberly.

"I never thought I'd find my brother because he had a murder rap!" Rin laughed.

"I never thought… that the night of my last ball would be the night I would finally leave the castle…" Kaito said.

'I never thought the worst night of my life would lead me to you.'

Miku wanted to say those words aloud, but found her nerves working against her at speaking so openly.

"So when the war is finally done, when I have Estmarch back… what will the rest of you do?" Kaito asked, "We all have our own countries and causes after all."

Meiko leaned back as she juggled a wine glass.  "Heh, mine's easy.  I'm going to retire from the service and devote myself fully to my singing career again."

She took a long gulp from her glass.  "I'll have saved the whole damn continent from a real war breaking out, I'll have earned my retirement!"

"You… you'd really do that?" Gumi said in surprise, "W-w-well then I'd… I'd retire too!  Then… I can just be a photographer again.  Really innovate… make art… yea…"

A surprisingly strong smile crossed the photographer's face.

"Well… I don't know about long term yet," Len said, "But I haven't seen my parents in years…"

"… me neither…" Rin said softly, "So… I guess right after the war, we should go home.  See the farm."

She smiled over at Gakupo.  "You’re welcome to come along.  They'll probably want to meet you since you saved my life and all."

"Heh… well I'll have to make sure I give them my best first impression!" he said with a laugh, "Hmmm, but after that… well, I'm not sure I'll go back to the slums.  This whole trip has opened my eyes to how many people are always in need."

He stroked his chin thoughtfully.  "I wonder how doable a portable medical practice could be?  I'd treat anyone who needed it, no nationalities barred…"

There were only two left that had yet to voice anything.  The pink-haired woman had been the quietest of the group all evening, largely keeping to herself.  'Well… she was our enemy… and then she disappeared…' Miku thought.

"Maybe… I could be a baker again…" Luka said softly.

"AH!  Then you could bake macarons for me!" Gakupo said happily.

She started to actually smile.  "Just for you, I'll learn."

Finally, every eye at the table was on Miku… and Miku realized she had no idea what she was going to do.  Her every thought since the terrible ball was only on getting Kaito to Westheim safely.  Now that was in reach… so what was next?

Would she stay with him as he'd asked?

Could she?

"I… I'd… like to…"

She had to think of something to say, even if she was insincere.  "I'd… like to travel the world.  I'm finally free to control my own path, after all."

"Wow…" Kaito said, "I'd love to do that with you."

But inside she felt hollow and empty.  She had no true dream.

_She wanted to sleep in the ashes, where she belonged._

She hoped Kaito didn't notice her starting to shake.  
  


The telegram had arrived in the early morning hours with just one request.  To verify the prince's identity, he would have to meet with a small retinue of Westheim's military at the border and be escorted to his uncle's manor.  Naturally, his small group of allies insisted on accompanying him after everything they'd gone through.  And Kaito wouldn't have it any other way.  Commander Lily insisted on going as well as a representative of the Confedere – a necessary precaution.  And something else seemed quite personal to her as well.

The meeting at the border passed without incident.  Within a few hours of departing Sherbrooke, Kaito found himself approaching the capital city of Bairn.

"My uncle would tell me about his home in such detail," Kaito had excitedly told Miku in the car ride over, "Maybe he just thought I might never see it… but my goodness, it's just how I imagined it!  You can even see the Aerie River arching around it like a horseshoe!"

Finally, the military escort arrived at the large manor house of Councillor Naoto Fuga.  Kaito grew quieter as they pulled through the gates.  Even accompanied by so many soldiers, his heart wouldn't stop pounding.  He wanted his journey to have mattered… he hoped his uncle was truly as kind as he believed…

He stepped through the front door into the foyer and laid eyes on his uncle for the first time in years.  The older man possessed shoulder length black hair, greying slightly at the temples, thin, elegant glasses in front of his familiar blue eyes.  The same color as his mother's…

His uncle at first appeared to have a muted reaction, approaching Kaito slowly with the soldiers between them.  He began to worry that perhaps he'd been wrong, that his uncle had showered him with false kindness just as his parents had…

But as the Councillor was only a few feet from Kaito, his calm demeanor cracked.  "You can be no one else but my beloved nephew… Kaito…" he said, tears appearing in the corners of his eyes as a weary smile crossed his face.

The older man reached out and embraced Kaito as family.  He leaned into the hug – he'd so dearly missed his uncle!  The guards stepping back now that their duty had finished.  "My nephew… my poor nephew…" Naoto gasped, "The news only grew worse with every day… your murder, the war, my sister's death… I thank the heavens for just this one miracle, that I can hold you once more."

"Uncle Naoto.  You won't believe the tale I have to share with you, but right now… I'm just glad to see you again."

His uncle backed up, lightly kissing his nephew's cheeks.  "Ah, where are my manners?" he said, looking over the assembled crew, "You all worked to bring my nephew to me, right?  Well we'll have quite a full house, but I'll have rooms prepared for every one of you.  In the meantime, let's gather somewhere more comfortable so Kaito can share this tale of his."

 

Miku cradled her peppermint tea in her hand as Kaito's story of survival finally ended.  For his uncle, he left out no details – not of the Cinderellas, not of his family's treachery… even speaking of Miku's assassination turned rescue.

To her it spoke of how much Councillor Fuga had Kaito's trust.

"Hmph… to think that after all this time, my poor sister had planned your death," Naoto mused, "I always feared the worst when she married into the Estmarch royal family.  Something about the way your father fed into her worst traits… she was never happy being the daughter of former nobles, you know.  She wanted to command men.  Being courted by and marrying a King made her feel like Cinderella, she'd tell me.  But even so… I'd rather this have not been the end of her.  Such tragedy."

His regard for Miku seemed quite a great deal warmer than his feelings for his own deceased sibling.  "I can only imagine how much pressure you were under that night.  I must give you my thanks for the bravery you showed."

"Th…Thank you…" Miku said.

"But with that story done… I suspect I know what else you may seek in Westheim," Naoto said more seriously, "Especially if you brought Commander LaFleur with you."

Kaito's eyes lowered.  "I… I intend to take back Estmarch.  But I can't do this by myself.  I have no army in Estmarch until more of it is liberated.  I must plead for aid from Westheim."

Naoto adjusted his glasses softly.  "I see… as expected.  And I assume that despite how your parents kept the state of things from you, you are still aware the obstacle in your path?"

"The Westheim Neutrality," Lily spat, "Even when Estmarch stormed our borders, right up to the edge of Westheim, you never lifted a finger for us.  Thousands of Sudlanders died for your neutrality…"

"… but not a single Westen," Naoto finished.

The coldness in which he spoke seemed quite a contrast from his more jovial demeanor.  "I can't say that I necessarily agree with that logic – I wasn't a Councillor at the time.  But it is the way  _many_  in Westheim see our neutrality."

"More importantly," he added, "While I am a Councillor and I could surely plead your case, I am just  _one_  Councillor.  We are a democracy after all, and the people of Westheim would not allow us to break neutrality lightly."

Kaito appeared crestfallen, but not defeated.  "Is there nothing I can do to convince them?" he said, "I doubt the Dawn will let Westheim be for long given their nature… once they attack Nordland-"

"They already have."

Gumi let out a gasp.  "But… But I warned them!  I gave them my intelligence, I told them of the attack vector…"

She looked ready to cry.  "Hmmm… well, that explains why the casualties were so low," Naoto said thoughtfully, "They seemed surprisingly well prepared when the  _Fantasie_  began its bombing run.  They may not have been able to prevent the attack, but it seems likely your efforts allowed the people of Nordheim to shield their civilians in time."

Gumi let out a sigh of relief.  "Did they use Faerie Dust?!" Meiko asked worriedly.

"Not that I know of."

Meiko's manner relaxed.  "Bloody hell though… they didn't waste any time…"

"Then it's even more apparent that I need to make my case and swiftly," Kaito said, "Uncle Naoto, would it be all right to have  _me_  appear in front of the Assembly? Would they allow for that?"

The older man looked surprised.  "Well I don't see why not, but… Kaito, you would have to be a truly exceptional orator to sway Westheim's National Assembly to break their neutrality and join you in a war!"

"Kaito convinced an army to lay their arms down in Sherbrooke," Miku said matter-of-factly, "You'd be surprised how much he's learned these past weeks."

Kaito blushed as Miku smiled at him.  "He understands people's hearts unlike any person I've ever met."

Naoto regarded his nephew with pride.  "Well, I can certainly make the arrangements… and leave the fate of your nation to you, Kaito."

 

After a few days in relative calm, Miku found her paranoia starting to spike in the capital.  Everything was going far too easily – Kaito's speech had been arranged in great haste.  Gumi and Meiko had returned to the Nordland embassy to handle business at home.  There were arrangements to be made if Kaito successfully managed to lobby for Westheim's military support.  Nordland would no doubt want to join in any effort to snuff out an Estmarchian invasion.

But she knew her true foes would not arrive on planes again.  There was always the chance of another Cinderella like her lurking in the city streets, waiting for the Prince.  To strike him down  _before_  he had an army at his back.

Kaito had understood her logic as they arrived at the Assembly building.  She arrived in his company, but she would have to let him speak on his own.  She would be protecting him from the outside.

Miku kissed him gently on the cheek before the car door opened.  "I believe in you," she said softly.

He gave her a brilliant smile.  "Thank you.  I'll fight for all of us in there."

She spotted Luka lurking in the crowd, having put on her nurses' uniform one more time.  They'd made a simple pact that morning – to ensure Kaito survived his speech.  Luka would handle the inside of the Assembly hall, Miku the grounds.  His remaining allies would be watching the speech inside.

Even so… her eyes stayed on Kaito, her nervous heart pounding, as her prince slipped away from her and into the Assembly Hall.  She tried to keep her eyes out on everyone roaming the crowd… any woman that seemed out of place.  The Cinderellas were supposed to be masters of deception, but they would be  _female_.

But for the first hour of the Assembly… nothing happened.  Miku could just barely hear the voices of the Councillors through the doors.  She finally tried leaning up against one of them to get a better idea of the proceedings.

"… How do we know this isn't some kind of power grab!?  He's  _your_  nephew, after all!"

"May I remind the Councillor that I have already recused myself from this vote?"

She felt a twinge of anger at their accusatory words and Naoto's seemingly detached response.  But she tried to understand – Westheim had held to their neutrality for a solid century.  Even as the Rose Wars raged, they simply fortified their own homelands.  The idea of fighting a true conflict no doubt frightened them, especially given the Westen ties of the now-deceased Queen of Estmarch.  And Naoto couldn't express greater emotion in a political setting lest he appear to show favor to a foreign government.

"… Prince Kaito of House Shion of Estmarch, you may now hold the floor."

Her heart leapt.  How she wished she could be inside watching him speak!  But this was not her place.  Keeping him safe was.

She heard footsteps, watching a silver-haired boy in a purple suit enter the hall.  He tipped his hat to her, revealing a little black streak in his bangs.  "Anything exciting happening today?" he asked her, "Everyone's saying there's a Prince in there."

"N-nothing much…" Miku said.

'I must look ridiculous like this!' she thought, pushing away from the door.

The boy approached her carefully.  He couldn't be much older than her given his height.  His purple eyes looked Miku over curiously, then glanced to the guards stepping through the hall.  "A pretty girl like you shouldn't be eavesdropping on politics," he said, "That much lying and cheating will rot your brain!"

Miku needed to come up with a proper cover.  "I'm a refugee from Estmarch," she said, "And… and I've never seen a democratic assembly before.  I… I just wanted to know how they are!  But I showed up too late to watch…"

The boy laughed at her again.  "You're so weird!"

He gave her a carefree wave before continuing down the lit hallways, in careful step behind two of the guards.

'What an odd boy…' she thought to herself.

She pressed her ear against the door again.

"… my gratitude to the people of Westheim, and my admiration for their years of dedication to peace.  It is not lightly that I come to ask you to take up your arms against anyone, let alone in my personal aid.  But in my journey to reach your fair kingdom, I've seen the terror that will be unleashed on this continent.  The devastation and sorrow of the people of Estmarch, the unholy fear lived by the people of its conquered territories…"

"Territories  _your_  parents conquered!"

"The Councillor is out of line!  All comments will be in order!"

"-I am not my parents.  I do not share their ambitions for Uralia.  I simply wish to extinguish the fires of war.  As my parents began this heartless conquest, it is thus my duty to resolve it."

'He's so calm… so regal…'

She could just imagine his strong face as he projected across the Assembly hall.  Even the attack on his character through his parents hadn't phased him.

'Kaito, you’ve grown more than you realize.'

Her listening session ended abruptly when she heard a strangled cry, followed by shattered glass.  'The Cinderella!'

Miku ran down the hall in haste, finding both guards unconscious.  She ducked down and checked on them – their vitals were still solid, but they'd both clearly been choked by some kind of rope…

"M-Miss!  Please, you need to run!"

She scanned the room for the voice, and spied the silver-haired boy crouched under a table.  Miku ran over to him.  "Did you see who did this?!"

He looked so frightened… "It was a girl!  She was wearing this black dress, and she had ash blond hair… she broke out that window!  She might be trying to kill the Councillors or worse!"

Miku tried to recall if she knew any Cinderellas that matched the description, but that didn't matter.  The Cinderella was going to kill Kaito!

The twin-tailed girl rushed towards the window, careful to look for the girl.  Was she climbing up a wall or…

That was when Miku felt a sharp cord cut into her neck.  She let out a panicked choke as her airflow cut off.  "You're so gullible…" the 'boy' said, tightening the chord, "I don't know how you lived this long being this stupid.  You think we wouldn't expect you to be seeking a  _woman_?"

She began to see spots in front of her eyes.  She took a chance on striking him, jabbing her elbow backwards into his chest, then rapidly stomped on her attacker's foot.  The cord slipped from her neck.  Without even a second thought, Miku turned around and punched her foe in the face.

He leapt back to get some space.  "Not bad, no wonder the Grand Godmother's so obsessed with you!" he said, drawing his pistol, "I was hoping to make this clean."

Miku leapt around, trying to stay out of the sight of the gun as he fired on her.  'The gun shot should draw the guards out!' she thought to herself, drawing a knife from her shirt.

She rolled along the ground to avoid another shot, tossing the knife at his hand and making a long gash along it, forcing the weapon to the ground.  In an instant, Miku leapt forward, pouncing on him and slamming his head into the floor.  She wrapped her arms around his neck, and now that Miku was right up in front of him, she could get a better look – this was  _definitely_  a woman, so androgynous she was able to pass as a boy with the right clothing.

"I won't let you kill Kaito!" she threatened, "If I have to kill you to do that, I will!"

"Heh… you think… this is about him?"

The girl coughed as Miku's grip tightened.  "So long… as you have his heart… we will never stop coming… for  _you_ …"

Miku felt the girl fall unconscious.  By this point several armed guards were approaching.  "HANDS UP!" they shouted, "You're under arrest!"

The Assembly doors opened as a crowd began to form.  Everyone watching Miku holding a girl she'd clearly beaten into unconsciousness.  Their eyes frightened of her… of what she was, of what she could do… of what she'd brought with her…

"Hands up!  We WILL shoot!"

She dropped the girl and fell to her knees, obeying the orders as she held up her arms.

'I've… I've ruined everything…'

"MIKU!"

She heard Kaito's voice as the handcuffs slipped around her wrists.  "What are you doing!?  Miku!" he shouted, breaking through the crowd, "Oh no… Miku, is that another…?"

He stepped up to the soldiers, who looked surprised to see him.  "I can assure you, whatever happened here, Miku was the victim!" he said.

"It doesn't matter who you are!" the lead guard said, "Our hands are tied until this is processed!"

Miku could hear the whispers.

"What kind of violent company is he keeping?!"

"That girl… she looks so innocent… is she some kind of assassin?!"

"Where does a prince find someone like that?"

Now they were associating her actions with Kaito… she fought back tears as she was hustled out of the Assembly, fearful she'd ruined all of Kaito's hard work… she'd made his journey worth nothing…

 

Kaito paced around his Uncle's house impatiently.  He'd wanted to storm into the police station  _himself_  before Naoto grabbed him and pointed out the wisdom of not intervening in Westheim's police force.  He hadn't wanted to throw his royal weight around – he merely wished to attest to Miku's character.  But he couldn't act like they owed him anything.  He had to leave Miku's fate to the justice system.

Sure enough, Miku was released in the early afternoon – when the victims of the assassin awoke, they were able to testify to the woman, "Flower," being the assailant, backing up Miku's story of fighting back in self-defense.  Yet even with her innocence proven, she was so shaken by the experience that all she wanted to do was rest.  Kaito acquiesced to her request, but the incident still rattled his nerves.

"I'm sure everything will be fine, Kaito," Gakupo said, resting on a lounge chair as he watched Kaito continue to pace around, "You at least managed to finish your speech."

"It's not just that… that they think so little of me that they'd even invade Westheim just to take me out.  What if other people had died?!"

He was tired of being chased around.  He longed to strike back at the Godmothers that kept sending their Cinderellas after him… but they were far too ethereal a foe.

"That's damn low of them to come this far," Len remarked, seated on a small stool, "And pretty brazen if you think about it.  How'd that girl even manage to cross the border?"

"She was sending a message."

Luka re-entered the room, having changed out of her uniform and back into a more comfortable black coat, pink blouse, and black trousers.  "That you're not invincible."

'Vile,' he thought to himself.

But more than that… he thought of how much the attack had likely rattled Miku.  She never stopped being on guard, even in a place like this.  'We've nothing left to do but wait for a decision,' Kaito thought to himself, 'There must be something I can do to help relax her nerves.  She deserves it.'

An odd idea popped in his head.  "Ah… you're not busy tonight, any of you?" he asked politely.

"Uh… no?" Len said, confused, "What have you got in mind?  A night on the town?"

"I think it might be best to stay in the manor tonight given the security," Kaito said, "But if we're going to do that, we can still try to make things pleasant.  Now… I wonder where I could find a dress shop… and… ah, Luka, you wouldn't happen to know Miku's measurements?"

The pink haired woman turned oddly red.  "What kind of a question is that?!" she said, offended.

"Ah!  Don't worry, I'll get you one too!  And another for Rin…"

"Heh, does Prince Charming have a plan?" Gakupo asked in intrigue, "And should I phone the Nordland embassy and summon back Miss Meiko and Miss Gumi?  I suspect if I tell Meiko there's alcohol here, they'll  _both_  come…"

He wanted Miku to understand the depth of his feelings for her.  He wanted to reassure her.  He wanted her to  _finally_  feel safe.

"Yes, let's do that.  Luka, can you help me out?  I… don't know the first thing about buying women's clothing."

"Hmph.  Honorable to the last.  I'll fetch Rin, I suspect she'll want to get involved as well."

Kaito never thought he'd be doing something as mundane as going clothing shopping with a woman that spent most of her life trying to kill him, but the fact she was willing to help him out gave him some confidence.  Miku wasn't the only one broken by the Godmothers…

 

Miku ran down the white stairs, leaping over them in a panic as she scurried away from her crime.  Her knife dripped with blood as she fled, praying none would spy her in her escape.

She'd waited with him for too long… she'd wormed her way into his heart and now she'd ruined him…

As she passed the last step one of her glass slippers fell from her feet, but she hurried so that she hadn't even time to fetch it… leaving the slipper behind…  
  


Miku snapped awake at the sound of a knock on her door.  She tried to banish the new nightmare from her mind.  As she'd been so weary from the stress that she'd slept in her clothes, she saw no point in delaying the visitor's entrance.  "Come in!" she called.

The door cracked open to reveal Rin, giggling happily as she held a white box in her arms.  "Special delivery!" she said.

The blonde girl rested the package on Miku's bed and took a step back as the twin-tailed girl removed the lid, pulling out a long white gown with a black ribbon at the waist and feathered sleeves.

"Why did you bring me a dress?" Miku said in shock.  She stood up and lay the garment against herself… the skirt ran all the way to her ankles…

"Because… you've been  _formally_ invited to Prince Kaito's ball tonight," Rin said, her face affecting a proper accent as she performed a noble curtsy, "The festivities shall begin promptly at seven o'clock, in the ball room of Fuga Manor!"

"A… a ball?"  Miku began to grow nervous at being surrounded by people again…

"Yes… it's a very exclusive guest list.  Only Prince Kaito's closest friends are attending."

Rin was having  _far_  too much fun with this.

Miku ran her hands along the silken dress.  The sleeves looked like wings… she glanced inside the box and spied a black choker, white gloves, a white headband, and white high heels.

And a card.

_To Cinderella_

_Love,_

_Prince Charming_.

 

Miku's high-heels clicked along the hardwood floors.  They were  _far_  more comfortable than glass slippers.  Somehow Rin and Luka had picked out the perfect measurements for the dress as well.

She pushed open the doors to the ballroom with her gloved hands…

… and waiting on the other side of the doors was Kaito.  He wore a white uniform with blue cuffs, collar, and sash, the jacket and cuffs trimmed in gold.  His golden epaulets sparkled in the low light as he bowed before Miku, sweeping a white gloved hand in front of him.

"Lady Miku.  Thank you for attending."

For the first time since the doomed night she'd met Kaito, he appeared every inch the Prince he truly was.

And as he straightened up, reaching out a hand to her, his wonderful smile inviting her in, she reached out and grabbed his hand tightly.  Her heart pounded so hard she had trouble finding the right words, but she managed a welcoming smile all the same.

He'd done all of this for  _her_  after all.

She gazed around the room, seeing the people that had made the long journey with her all in one place again.  Meiko wearing a sparkling red gown at home on a makeshift stage, Gumi in a simple green evening dress and hovering around with her camera… Rin dancing in a white gown with a black trim along the bust, her partner Len in a simple black tuxedo… Luka in a black dress with a red ribbon around the waist, making conversation with Gakupo, who wore a regal white suit with a purple waistcoat… even Lily was in attendance, awkwardly nosing around the food spread in a black and yellow evening gown…

She heard a gramophone start up, and she spied Naoto placing a record on the surface, playing a calm piano waltz.  "Miku… this is just for us," Kaito said warmly, "After everything you and I have been through, I wanted to celebrate our safe arrival.  You made this happen.  Thank you.  My Cinderella."

 

Meiko took her cue to start performing.  Another show for the Prince of Estmarch, but this time it wouldn't erupt in violence.  And honestly… she thought it was rather romantic.  'They came together because of a war,' she thought, 'Crazy how many people it pulls together.'

Gumi's camera flash made her aware of herself.  'Better give her a few good poses!' the singer thought to herself with a smirk as she started her song.

_"Every time I touch, I feel wistful… We still have and share the feeling… Hold the feeling you forgot tight in your hand…"_

 

"You're surprisingly good at this!" Rin teased her brother as he danced with her across the floor, "Who taught the butler to dance?"

Her brother laughed easily.  "I never learned properly, I just spent a lot of time watching the Duke's guests doing it… I guess I picked something up!"

He looked her over carefully and Rin hoped he wasn't about to ask where  _she'd_  learned.  She always tried to put up her brave front, but having so much regular contact with her old life kept making her question herself.  She didn't want the burden any longer… she just wanted to be the Princess that danced with her loyal Knight.

"Rin… when you go home with me… are you going to stay?"

So his  _actual_  question took her by surprise.  "I mean… I want to.  Certainly, for a while."

"But?"

He looked so scared of losing her again.

"Well… after everything that's happened… I realized how much I love medicine.  I mean, Len, I mixed a cure to a toxic gas!  I… I saved lives… I don't want that to stop…"

She felt so guilty now to leave her family again.  "Well… maybe when the war is over…" Len pondered, "The Royal Medical Academy in the Capital is where Gakupo went, right?  I'm sure he could put in a good word for you."

He tried to perk up for her.  "You could do a lot of good, and… well, the trains to the Grunebelt should start running again once the war is over.  It wouldn't be hard to visit you!"

"Len…"

Rin loved Gakupo like family.  How could she not?  He'd raised her from the gutters, and gave her life purpose again.  But she also always yearned to have a brother again.  Her other half.

Meeting Len was a miracle of fate.  "Well, I mean, I won't leave the farm right away!  I'll have to earn enough money to pay for the schooling first!  I wouldn't dare ask mama and papa for it, they've done enough!"

"What?!  You should ask Kaito to pay for it!" Len exclaimed, "Don't Princes usually hand out rewards to people that help them?!  I mean I'm planning on asking for at least a castle or something!"

The twins burst into laughter, continuing their dance along the floor as if they'd been dancing for years…

 

_"Forever I love you… forever I believe you… The words thrown in the sky still ringing in the memory..."_

Kaito swept Miku in his arms across the dance floor.  He reflected that until the night he'd met her, his only dance partners were his instructors.  But he still felt confident enough in dancing with Miku that she was his favorite partner.  She easily slipped into his movements, as if she'd been born to dance with him.

He didn't want to speak and ruin the rush of being with her in a moment of peace.  In the sorrow and chaos, she'd propped him up, never letting him collapse.  For just this evening, he wanted to show her his own strength.  That she could rely on him.

Even when she smiled though, he still saw it.  The aura of sadness that rested in her heart.  No matter how hard he tried to shatter it, it remained steadfast.

His Cinderella shouldn't have to worry so… maybe if he brought a swift end to the war he could finally heal her soul?

 

_"Forever I love you… forever I believe you… Any day, whenever I close my eyes, you are there..."_

 

Gakupo fumbled with his wine glass.  He'd never felt this nervous before.  All right, so maybe most of his ventures with women were unsuccessful, but he'd never been seriously trying in the past.  He certainly loved getting lost in the eyes of a beautiful girl, but beyond the occasional date, he was far too much of a bumbler to progress that far.

And frankly, he knew he was playing with fire as he watched Luka standing by herself, eyeing some of the food.  Even among people she knew, she was clearly still uncomfortable being around people normally.  She'd been shattered so thoroughly.  He'd read many books on psychological trauma, he understood to some extent what she was experiencing.  But he couldn't quite heal it.

He didn't want to fix it just because he was doctor.

He wanted to heal it because… he…

"Ahem!" he said, coughing into his white gloves, "I quite enjoyed those cheesy balls!"

She looked at him oddly.  "They're called malakoffs," she corrected.

Nonetheless, she took one into her black gloved hand and took a bite.  "It's… not bad…" she said, "They're quite fond of cheese in Westheim, aren't they?"

Gakupo grabbed a small plate and scooped some cheese squares onto it.  Something to go with the wine, and to keep him busy.  "Indeed, I've never had so many!" he said.

He offered the platter forward.  "Would you… ah… share these with me?"

'Great, cheese, that's romantic.  I'm terrible at this.'

He tried to recover by going for the charming smile.  Now she was looking at him even more strangely. 

The charming smile  _never_  worked, did it?!

But she did grab a toothpick and stick it into a cheese square.  'Good work, charming smile!' he thought to himself, 'Now… for… the next step…'

 

_"I want to be by your side just a little more… the dawn is coming nearby…."_

 

Miku stood quietly with Kaito in front of one of the great windows.  It was far too cold outside for her to walk in the garden with him, but they could at least watch the stars while enjoying the music and each other's company.  "Miku… when you said you wanted to travel…" Kaito said.

Her fingers curled around the black sash at her waist.  "Did you have anywhere in particular in mind?"

She tried to make up an answer to fill the hollowness inside of her.  "Maybe… the Union?  We talked about running away there… what if we just visited?  We could cross the ocean together."

"Done.  I think once the war ends, we could even recommission the  _Fantasie_  for it.  Better than the wretched thing being used for war."

For a moment Miku dreamt of flying above the clouds, with Kaito pressed up against the window and taking in the world below.  A smile crossed her face.  She'd only been talking, but now it almost sounded achievable.

She leaned into his body.  "Anywhere else?" Kaito said, "Frankly, I expect I'll be going all over the continent when the war ends.  I'll have a lot of amends to make.  And… so much to see.  All those places I feared I'd never go when I was my parents' prisoner."

He kissed the top of her head.  "You set me free, Cinderella… thank you."

That night she'd been brought to tears imagining Kaito's swift end when he had so much that he yearned for.  Now she was being brought to tears at his infinite possibilities.  How many of them involved her?  Kaito certainly seemed to be planning with her in mind but…

 

_"Don't let go of my hand you hold, not to be washed away…"_   
  


Somehow Gakupo had managed to coax a dance out of the reticent pink-haired beauty, and he was loving every second of it.  All right, he barely knew what he was doing stomping along the floor, but he was improvising decently enough and Luka was taking her time with him.  Ballroom dancing wasn't exactly something a doctor was expected to know.

But for all her difficulties in socialization, there was a strength in Luka's hands as they wrapped around his own.  A sureness of purpose.  The blue in her remaining eye remained a mystery, but he could see a spark of life reflected in it that had been missing when they'd first met.

This woman had been a beacon to him when he was on the brink of death.  When he found himself questioning everything about himself and his purpose.  Maybe others would find her cold but he'd seen too much of her now – the conflict that beat inside her and the ultimate strength she possessed to fight her way through it.  He didn't want to lose her.

"Luka… I…" he started to say.

She put a finger over his mouth, silencing him.  "I just… I just want this right now…" she said, "You're doing wonderfully."

 

_"Forever, I love you… Forever, I believe you…"_

 

Kaito wanted this evening to last forever, but he could see a weariness to Miku's movements.  He didn't want to force her into the point of fatigue.  "Are you done, milday?" he said.

"You've been wonderful to me," Miku said softly, "You know everything about me, and you treat me like I'm really royalty."

"Of course," he said, "You're the person I love, Miku."

He slipped his arms around her and she leaned into his strong hug.  "I've loved every minute of this, Kaito," she sighed, and he thought she sounded happier.  "I wish… I wish time would stop.  And we'd always have this moment."

He slipped his hands along her face, and was surprised to find tears.  "Miku… is everything okay?"

She brushed them away again.  "I'm just… happy…"

She tilted her head up, leaning in… he kissed her soft lips, trying to draw the tension out of her and replace it with peace.  He completely trusted her.  He felt no fear.

 

_"The words thrown in the sky is still ringing in the memory…"_

 

"You may be welcoming a new family member soon, Councillor," Lily said with a smirk as she watched the couple kissing.

She glanced over and found the older man looking nervous as he nursed a wine glass.  "I trust in his judgement," Naoto said diplomatically, "Whoever that girl really is… she brought him back.  It's up to my nephew to decide how to handle certain complexities of royal… affairs."

She tried to discern if the nervousness was over the class conflict or simply an uncle worrying about losing his only nephew.  The man had no heirs to his name – so the young Prince was the closest thing he had to a son.

Naoto glanced over to Lily.  "Speaking of… I believe you said you won't be taking the throne should Sudland be liberated?"

Lily clutched at the stem of her glass.  "It's better this way.  Heh, maybe we'll learn something from Westheim after all."

As she watched the couples (romantic or otherwise) enjoying themselves, she found herself reminiscing.  Once upon a time, Lily had been a princess and she'd attended balls just like these.  "My last ball as the heir to Sudland… happened right as the war broke out.  My parents tried to hide the truth of things from me, just for one more night.  I never knew how terrible things were going to get, but only a few months later… that palace, that ballroom, were no longer mine.  And I was nothing."

"I'm terribly sorry," Naoto said.  "Your people… and you… were wronged.  But words alone can't mend this."

At least he was trying.  "One thing will, and that's getting this army so I can get Sudland back.  I may not ever have a palace again, but I'll be damned if I can't get a country."

"I think Kaito should be quite confident.  His oration skills notwithstanding… as upsetting as the near assassination was, that Flower girl provided quite a useful boon.  She was easily identifiable as a member of the Dawn, so now they've disrespected our sovereignty to attack our seat of government.  I spent the rest of the afternoon drafting a case that under the circumstances, the Dawn has declared war and we now must defend ourselves."

So typical of a politician.  "So you get to keep your neutrality and help your nephew in one fell swoop."

The Councillor sipped his glass.  "Whatever path you take… you have to learn to be savvy to every opportunity.  I believe that Kaito understands people's hearts well enough that he'll understand this by the time he's coronated.  I have utmost faith that he  _will_  turn things around."

"That good will finally flow from Estmarch."

 

_"Forever, I love you… Forever, I'll never forget…"_

"Gakupo.  I've killed 15 people.  And even now, I feel no remorse for it."

She stared at him, searching for a reaction.  "Your past means nothing to me," he said carefully, "I know what happened to you."

"But you have to accept that about me.  I'm not innocent.  You are."

He seemed unusually nervous – she knew what he was trying to say and she was trying to stop it.  She wasn't ready to accept it, and hurting him wasn't her goal.

"Thank you for this evening.  I'll remember you like this.  As my 'prince.'"

"I see… you're leaving."

She wasn't going to get out of this without hurting him, was she?  Why did she care?  Did she?

Did she dare?

She curtsied politely to him, as she'd been taught.  She could perfectly mimic the actions of nobility thanks to her training…

As she started to walk away from him, she crossed a hand against her chest, feeling a knot inside of it.  She wanted something more than just an image to remember Gakupo.

She turned back, rushed forward, and flung her arms around him…

He was clearly surprised by her impulsiveness, so much so that he almost forgot to actually kiss her goodbye.

"There is something I must do.  Alone.  If I survive… I want to know that you'll be waiting."

"As long as it takes."

 

_"Anyday, whenever I close my eyes, you are there…"_

Kaito clutched Miku's bare body to his own, not wishing to let the heat of the last few moments fade.  The idea of the scandal he could create was far from his mind.  All he focused on were Miku's soft eyes as she stroked his hair.

"Cinderella…" he whispered.

She tightened her hug around him.  "I love you, Kaito," she said, "Please don't ever forget that.  No matter what may happen."

He felt sleep finally pull at his mind.  "I could never doubt you."

As he began to drift off, he remembered the fairy tale the way his mother always read it to him.  "Miku… why does Cinderella always run?"

"Hmm?"

"At the end of the ball… the Prince clearly loves her, but she flees from him.  My mother always said she was embarrassed of her ash and soot."

Miku seemed to be giving the matter some thought.  "I think… it's because… she was afraid that the Prince would hate her true self.  Not just the ashes, but her heart."

"Cinderella… should trust the Prince…"

His weary eyes closed on a wonderful evening, confident that his own Cinderella would be waiting when he opened them again…

 

Miku began to release Kaito, ensuring he was properly asleep.  He'd not drank much wine this night, but he'd certainly had enough to make him sleep more deeply than usual.  She rested him along the pillow and slipped cautiously out of the bed.

She watched him like a hawk for any signs of waking as she put on her long clothing, all the way to the point that she was buttoning up her overcoat.  She looked at the lovely silken dress and debated whether to take it with her or not.

'No… it should stay here.  I won't be able to wear it after all.'

She started to zip up her bag when she saw the precious artifact wrapped up.  Tossing a glance back to Kaito, she tried to steel her heart.  Why did he have to see her as Cinderella?!  Why was he so obsessed with her leaving?

She unwrapped the object and set it on the table next to his head, hoping it would be the first thing he'd see in the morning.  Then… maybe he would understand.

 

"I thought I'd find you here."

Miku froze up at the sound of Luka's voice behind her as she crossed through the gates of the manor.  She turned to see her former mentor, dressed in similarly casual clothes, leaning again a fence post. Miku didn't know what to say, and it was hard to read Luka's face as she was looking out into the street, her patched eye the only one facing Miku.

"No, you don't need to explain.  I know.  Flower threatened you personally, didn't she?"

The twin-tailed girl nervously clutched at the strap of her bag.

"And now you realize we're the same.  We don't belong in this place.  What we are, what happened to us, it still hasn't ended.  Maybe… maybe it's never going to end.

The woman finally turned her head enough that her remaining eye was on her.  "So what did Kaito say when you told him?"

The guilt began to eat away at Miku's heart.  "He doesn't know.  He'll… he'll know when he wakes up."

Luka turned away again.  "I thought you closer than that.  Telling Gakupo goodbye was the hardest choice I've made – and I've made some terrible choices."

She didn't owe Luka anything.  She was leaving… she never had to see Luka again.  She started to turn.  "Do you even know where you're going?"

No, she didn't.  Far.  Far away.  Maybe to Estmarch again.  Somewhere she could disappear.

"So, no then."

Luka's ability to read her was infuriating – she felt like she was back under her thumb again.  "I'll give you a destination then.  Do you remember your hometown?  The place where you grew up?"

"I…"

Miku blinked as she tried to recall it, but everything felt so hazy and blank.  "That's on purpose.  Ones like you, with family alive, they wear you down to break your attachments.  When words and violence aren't enough, they use drugs.  Probably one of the poisons you were slipped in your immunity training, to make you more suggestible to what they wanted you to believe…"

'No… it can't be…'

She tried harder and harder to remember, but the haze refused to lift.  She tried to recall her stepmother, her stepsisters… hadn't they mistreated her?

_She slept in the ashes so she could become ash like them._

The wretched thought seized her and now it felt all the truer.

"I found out where you came from.  Aschenputtel.  It's in Estmarch, along the Sudland borders.  I can't take you there personally, but I think you need to go there.  You can't make any choices about your life if you don't know where you came from.  This is all I can give to you.  It's not even close to making up what happened but…"

"… thank you.  Please, stay safe, Luka."

With that, Miku grabbed her bag close and ran off into the darkness…

 

The tones of the midnight church bells briefly awoke Kaito from his slumber.  He clutched his head lightly as he felt a slight hangover.  "I didn't even drink that much…" he muttered.

That was when he realized he was the only occupant of the bed.  He bolted right up in surprise, staring at the empty spot where Miku lied when he fell asleep.

"No…"

He scanned the room in a panic, looking for any signs of intrusion.  Had he missed it?!  Had she been hurt or –

…he saw the lone glass slipper resting on his night table.  As he reached out to touch it, everything became clear.  His heart shattered as he realized Cinderella had run away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N:**
> 
> Hey, yea, you guys were sure enjoying those ships, sure would suck if I fired a couple of torpedos at them…
> 
> *boom boom*
> 
> Westheim is modeled on Switzerland to an extent, and yes, Switzerland's neutrality in conflict is one of its best-known traits.  I feel a bit awkward broaching the subject of neutrality given that the Swiss sat out two World Wars, but I went ahead because the storyline here is very different from actual history.  I'm not a huge pro-war person, but I also recognize that sometimes conflict is unavoidable – and in this story, there is no way out for Kaito.  Gakupo has been balancing the difficulty of maintaining a pacifist stance in a violent time, and I never ever thought that would become so painfully relevant to the present day.  I'm not trying to make a statement on the necessity of war or killing, but I am trying to get to the moral quandries people face and in a violent world, there isn't necessarily an easy choice.  What's important to me is ensuring that the choices the characters make are internally consistent with the way they view the world and the events they experience.
> 
> On a less heavy note, I also modeled Westheim's government on Switzerland's, though for story purposes I've simplified it to ensure I can move the plot a little faster.
> 
>  **Song Credit:** Meiko gaining ground for all the stories I did where she was a character and never got to sing!  I had to get yuukiss' "Nostalogic" in here, it's one of her most famous songs!  Her song during the ball is "Close My Eyes" by Shu-tP and kaya (and MIRIAM sings the chorus.)  I also couldn't resist having Kaito, Len, and Gakupo in one spot and not throw down with some VanaN'Ice and I went with "Setsugetsuka".
> 
>  **Art Credit:**  This picture is by Kanjuku Pine, who seems to have deleted their sites and pixiv account.  I got the image off of Zerochan.  I swear I'm not trying to find artists who disappeared, I just keep using a free image archive that groups images on a theme and credits them, but if the artist goes away, the archive doesn't necessarily remove it.


	15. Unyielding Pupil

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prince Charming and two Cinderellas, scattered and searching for purpose in a broken world as the flames of war beckon them. Within the ashes, Cinderella is reborn anew...

Iroha's mistress gazed out into the dark, star-studded sky, and the girl knew she wasn't simply admiring an evening.  She was planning.

"Flower was arrested in Westheim.  She failed to kill Miku, my lady."

The sour look on the mistress' face gave her worry.  "Such a wretched conclusion to a wretched week," the older woman murmured.  She wasn’t even touching her full wine glass.  "The Prince survives, his allies alert Nordland to our activities, our Faerie Dust supplies plummet… that enchanted charming brat is getting far too lucky."

Of course, she would attribute this to luck.  The Prince was far too naïve and inexperienced to have outmaneuvered them on his own.

"And with Flower's arrest, Westheim will come to war…" Iroha lamented.

"Well… at least the Cinderella at his side will be dealt with."

"I'm sorry?"

Iroha looked confused.  "My lady, Miku _survived._ "

A sickly smile crept up along the woman's red lips.  "Miku is alive, but if Flower delivered the right message… her heart won't allow her to stay with him."

The woman's silvery eyes glinted.  "Iroha, what of the Midnight Tears?"

"The last experiment was quite successful… we only have a small amount left though.  Enough for one."

The mistress reached for her wine glass.  "Then search everywhere for my poor lost Godchildren, my Cinderellas.  Bring back the one dearest to me… and ensure the deaths of those who remain disloyal."

Seeing her mistress so excited gave Iroha relief – their plans, their lives, still had value.  The Faerie Godmothers still existed, and so the Faerie Godmothers would reign. Even if the Emerald Dawn collapsed.

"As long as Cinderella has the Prince's heart… I still have him.  I've planned this entire story from the very first page.  So long as they dance within a fairy tale, they'll die together within it."

 

Kaito sat slumped over in a chair in the living room, clutching the slipper close.  He'd barely managed to get dressed, wearing a simple white shirt and blue pants, his scarf loosely draped around his neck.

She was gone.

She'd run.

He'd never find her.

_"I promise, when you're safe, I'll leave and you'll never see me again."_

Her first promise to him, fulfilled.  Only one question hung in his mind. 

Why?

"Oh… why?  Why, why, whyyyyyy?"

The slurred voice of the purple-haired doctor carried through the living room as Kaito saw Rin trying to keep her stumbling friend propped up on his feet.  "I told you not to go drinking with Meiko!  You're going to be _miserable_ in the morning, she can drink like a fish and stay standing!"

"Nothing mattersh!  She'sh gone, Rin… she'sh goooooone…"

Gakupo tipped right over the side of a couch, flopping over halfway.  "ACK!  No no no, Gakupo, you need a bed!  Oh… there he goes…"

The thoroughly inebriated doctor started to crawl over the couch, until he was largely stretched out on his stomach, his booted feet hanging over one of the armrests. He looked a truly pathetic sight with his limbs every which way, his face flushed with red, his hair spread out around his body.

Rin finally noticed Gakupo wasn't the only person in the room.  "Oh! Kaito, I thought you and Miku… ah… well…"

She blushed, but then she caught sight of what Kaito was holding.  "Isn't that… Miku's glass slipper?  I remember, she only had one when she showed up on the night of the attack…"

Kaito rested the shoe on the table, staring at it somberly.  "She… left it behind.  Before she slipped out."

The blonde girl let out a gasp.  "You're certain she left?!  Kaito, we should try and find her, what if the Godmothers-"

"… she left the shoe because Cinderella always leaves a shoe when she runs away."

Kaito's fanciful explanation still seemed to make sense to Rin, the young nurse's face falling in response.  "I'm… I'm so sorry… I thought she looked so happy tonight too…"

So maybe Kaito was the only one that really noticed the aura of sadness.  Or maybe he just noticed because he knew her so much better.

"Yoursh left too…"

Gakupo looked a wreck, his face flushed with alcohol, as he wiggled around on the couch trying to get off his stomach.  He let out a bitter laugh.  "Oh… a doctor that can't fix a broken heart… look at me…"

"So… Luka left?'

"Not with Miku," Rin answered as Gakupo choked up at just hearing her name, "She left right as you guys were heading off… she told Gakupo goodbye and everything…"

He was already running lower on allies.  How could he have missed the signs?  How could he have failed to rally the people close to him so they wouldn't feel they had to leave?

How was he going to move on?

If he got his army, they would be looking to _him_ to lead.  And now… he was alone.

'I only got this far because of Miku,' he thought sadly, 'I'm nothing without her.'

"Kaito… can you keep an eye on him?  I'm going to make sure his room is ready… and clear of debris… and… yea…"

"Of course."

As Rin nervously slipped away, Gakupo wallowed along the couch some more.  Kaito knew the doctor had a rather eccentric personality, but this particular emotional display felt excessive even for him.  "Luka… I don't… I don't care… if it's right or not…" he muttered, looking up as if the departed Cinderella was still able to hear him.  "What you've done, it doeshn't matter… I never felt like thish for anyone…"

The doctor's blue eyes rolled over lazily to Kaito.  "Whaddabout you?  You probably had your pick of girls before…"

Kaito stared longingly at the slipper.  "My parents kept me so isolated… to be perfectly frank, I never had the opportunity to… to…"

That wild feeling, the sense of rebellion in his heart that night, the declaration without understanding…

"… to fall in love."

Gakupo started to pull himself up.  "So this was a first love?!"

He let out a whistle as Kaito felt a prick of embarrassment.  At his age he should have had such experiences before.  For a moment, he even felt an intense flash of anger – he knew _nothing_ of how to help people because of what had been done to him.  To properly understand them.  To help someone in need.

"I always saw the sadness inside of Miku… I knew how much pain she kept hidden… I kept trying to find some way to heal it.  With trust, with cheer… even with love… but it always lingered."

The lone slipper felt as isolated as his own heart.  "How can I possibly heal a kingdom when I can't even heal the heart of the woman I love?"

'Prince Charming is supposed to save Cinderella… what sort of prince am I?'

"Who was he… Yoon?  Yung?"

Gakupo's drunken murmurs seemed to make even less sense.  "I was reading some booksh on thish… the ailments of the mind… the way that terrible events create afflictions that can't be cured by mere words and feelings."

"Are you suggesting what the Godmothers did to Miku and Luka is like… a disease?"

Kaito tried to grasp the concept of trauma as an illness.  Maybe it was no different than a lingering scar.  "Heh… I guess I just hoped if I loved Luka enough… that would cure the disease… but it's a much deeper wound isn't it?  There are whole institutes popping up now trying to study the human mind… I'm just a surgeon…"

Miku had suffered so many tortures to become a Cinderella.  To craft her into the person the Godmothers wanted her to be the night she was to kill him.  He wished she would have trusted him more with her pain.  Whatever she intended to do now, he would have gladly helped her with all the resources he had at his disposal…

'Miku… what do I do now?'

The troubling thought of Miku's departure kept Kaito from sleeping the rest of the evening, though not unexpectedly, Gakupo slept like a log.  Kaito greeted his uncle somberly at breakfast, trying to be brief with his explanation of Miku's departure.  Though his uncle was family, he also wanted to present more strength than he felt to him given the Councillor's position.

Naoto was understanding – he gave his nephew space to process his loss, but assured him he could turn to him for any advice before he left for the Assembly.  He spoke so tenderly that Kaito briefly recalled how he always felt comfortable turning to his late father for advice as a child. 

Did his uncle look at him like this now?  Like a son?

Even knowing the truth of the night of his near murder… Kaito still found himself turning to memories of his parents love for solace.

With nothing more to do than await news of the Assembly, the prince found himself with an abundance of time to contemplate his future.  The future without Miku.

And still hung there hung the question – why?

"You must think me quite weak," he confessed to Lily, "I'm to lead an army to take back my homeland and here I find myself broken thinking of a lost love."

The Commander was surprisingly sympathetic.  "I would think less of you if you were callus to it," she responded, "The Confedere is pledged to you because of the kindness you possess.  You've much to grieve over these last weeks.  It's rational to use these brief peaceful moments to mourn before you take up a banner of war again."

Maybe that was it.  One more loss piled on top of everything else.  His home, his old life, the illusion of a family… and now his first love.

He still carried the glass slipper with him.  How desperate must Prince Charming have felt, to find love and see her flee him, with nothing but her shoe as a token.  As Kaito had gotten older, the obvious flaw in the story stood out to him – how would a lost shoe help the man find the woman he loved when it was possible for any number of women to fit it?

But now he understood – when he had nothing else left, he would try _anything_ to get Miku back.  Even something ridiculous.

By afternoon, even his idol was comforting him.  "Miku was your first love," Meiko told him as they sat together in the cleaned-up ballroom.  "You're not wrong to feel this way."

Yet he still kept replaying the events of the evening… how happy they'd been at peace…

"I must confess, Meiko, _you_ were my first love.  Your music at least.  My uncle sent me one of your albums, and the songs you performed carried me away from the place I was trapped in.  It gave me companionship when I had none.  I managed to keep getting more of them… and I kept dreaming about what kind of person you were and what I'd say if I met you."

Kaito stopped when he realized how personal his confession had gotten.  Meiko was turning a red as her dress.  "I mean… I always wanted my songs to reach people," she stammered, "But I had no idea…"

She sighed.  "I mean, I guess I hope I've lived up to that kind of imagination," she said.

She stopped talking when she saw Gumi enter with a familiar brown envelope.  She looked strangely nervous.  "Ah... Prince Kaito! I've been looking for you after I heard… um… Miku… well…"

The girl crossed the dining room with quick steps and thrust the envelope into Kaito's hands.  "I already developed the photos from last night.  They're in color!  So… so you have something... nice… as a memento…"

In her own odd way, Gumi was trying to cheer up the strange Prince who she'd spied on.  "And… well, I put something else in there.  You'll understand.  I mean, I gave up copies of my photos from the night of the coup, but…"

A small sly smile broke on her face as she looked away from him.  "I guess I just wasn't close enough to get any photos of the moment of the assassination."

Kaito almost corrected her when he grasped what she was insinuating.  Meiko and Gumi were both giving him a far more precious gift than just a memento.

"Thank you Gumi… I owe you a great debt."

In Kaito's room, he'd spread out the photographs on the bed.  He hadn't even spotted Gumi's rapid picture taking while he and Miku spent an entire evening enjoying themselves, though he had recalled her spending more time taking photos than enjoying more romantic activities with her own lover. 

Ever present in the photos was Miku's bright smile.

'She was happy… right?'

Had he made her happy?

She made _him_ happy.

Had he thought she'd leave, that he was looking on her last smile for him… he'd never have closed his eyes last night.

His gaze drifted to the familiar black and white photographs.  The moments Gumi had captured of Miku's crime.

She'd even managed to capture the tears on Miku's face as she drove the knife in.

'Gumi gave me these… to protect Miku.'

He gathered them up in his hands.  A rage filled him as he thought of how frightened Miku was that night, compelled to kill and trying to pretend she was the girl of his dreams at the same time.  So fearful of retribution and failure that she couldn't even warn him, forced to undertake a dreadful act to sneak him away from the fate planned for him.

Kaito tore through the photo paper and it felt satisfying to feel something breaking in his hands.  In moments, all that remained were tatters.  He gathered what remained, storming out of his bedroom to the great fireplace in the nearby living room.  He cast the remnants of the photos into the flames, watching them quickly melt into ash.

This was all he could do for her.

All he could do.

"Kaito, there you are!  I've been looking for you!"

Len.  He turned back to the boy and tried to contain his emotional state again.  "Sorry to have worried you," he apologized.

Len glanced into the fire place, but either he didn't notice the burning photo pieces or he felt it unwise to comment on them.  "I just… well, I've been thinking a lot about what happened.  With Miku."

Kaito turned back to the fire.  'Do I really look that fragile?' he thought.  _Everyone_ seemed to be trying to seek him out now.

"It just… none of it makes sense.  Kaito, it's not even just how she felt about you.  Miku was _obsessed_ with protecting you.  So much that I was really worried she'd do something crazy if it meant keeping you alive.  She took _poison_ for you!  But now… now she's gone?  When you're about to go to war and another Cinderella just sought you out?"

"Len, what are you getting at?!"  Kaito didn't have time to worry about speculations.

"I'll be blunt.  There's no way Miku up and left you unless the Godmothers threatened to get to you through _her._ "

As Len's words settled over him, Kaito found himself repeating it.  "Flower was using _Miku_?!"

That Miku still couldn't be free of the Godmothers, even now…!

"Who the hell do they think they are?!" he shouted, his emotions coarsening his choice of words, "They're not satisfied with simply trying to kill me, they have to torture every person I love?!"

"They've been torturing these girls for years… I got Rin back, but she's still…"

Len looked around him as if ensuring his sister was out of earshot.  "Rin's still broken.  She's still weighted down by everything that happened.  She's only alive now because that damn gas didn't work on her.  She was willing to die for me just so she didn't have to carry a burden anymore… and she's had all that time with Gakupo to get better…"

"But was taking over this kingdom all they wanted?!" Kaito continued, "Every aspect of them is so carefully planned, maneuvering every person into place… who are they?!  What do they really want?!"

'This… this has to be about more than a crown… it always comes back to me… to that fairy tale… to Cinderella and Prince Charming…'

"Kaito!"

He heard his uncle calling out to him as he rushed into the house.  "Kaito, they called the vote!  We… Westheim… Westheim is going back you!"

Kaito shivered at the news – that meant he was truly going to war.  He was going to be responsible for the lives of everyone under his command… and the people of Estmarch caught up in the violence.

"Well, your Highness… you think you can handle the responsibility of a war?" Len asked.

A spark lit up inside his heart.  Fighting the Dawn meant finally facing the people that had been so determined to systemically ruin his life and who still chased after Miku.

Where he once felt uncertainty about his actions, now there was determination.  He had to meet them head on.  If he could defeat the Dawn, if he could defeat the Godmothers…

"I need to get ahold of Meiko and Gumi at the Nordland embassy," Kaito ordered, "We must co-ordinate with Nordland at once if we're to push back the offensive out there and ensure the Dawn is contained within Estmarch, where Westheim and the Confedere can fight them on our own territory."

He looked over towards Len.  "I must ask a favor of you, Len."

"Done," he said with a smirk, "You want me to sniff out the Godmothers for real.  Which I'll do.  They've broken far too many lives.  I can't even say that what they did left me all in one piece.  I joined with you in Zweissen to get revenge!"

Len had faithfully followed Kaito on his mad journey, risking so much on a singular purpose.  "Thank you, Len. I'm grateful to have your loyalty."

"Oh, did I hear something about _revenge_?"

Meiko entered the living room, dragging on her lit cigarette with Gumi just behind her.  "Because I just received orders through the embassy to co-ordinate with you."

She gave him a playful wink.  "The King of Nordland wants to speak with the Prince of Estmarch through our secure channel.  I suspect he'll want to get in touch with the Prime Minister of Westheim as well."

"My but you're efficient," Naoto said, impressed, "You're clearly a woman of many talents, Ms. Sakine."

"You're just the person I wanted to see anyway, Meiko," Kaito said, "When we first met, you said you'd been pursued by Cinderellas.  That one of Gumi's photos might have drawn their attention.  I want to go through everything you two have and see if we can't work out what that event was."

"I'm sorry, I think I'm a little lost," Naoto interrupted, "We're at war with the Dawn now, aren't we?  What do Cinderellas have to do with anything?"

Kaito thought of Luka, pulled from the ashes of her home and her heart turned to rage and revenge.  He thought of Rin plucked from the innocence of childhood and brought within an inch of her life.

He thought of Miku, seemingly rescued from her abusive home only to return to an even worse fate.

"The Godmothers are controlling the Dawn," Kaito explained, "Even if we fight their soldiers and defeat them to a man… even if we capture General Tonio… none of this ends unless we cut the strings of the puppet masters controlling them."

Prince Charming would chase after Cinderella, no matter what it took, to rescue her from the cruelty of the people who caged her.

'Miku… I'm sorry I couldn't protect you before.  But I will save Estmarch, and I will save you with it.  I promise.'

 

As Miku wandered through the snow-coated streets of Aschenputtel, she tried to summon up anything she could still remember.  But the combination of the long years away, the drain of the current civil war, and her own faulty mind made the streets feel as foreign as the capital of Westhheim.

She kept her hood and green scarf up – she didn't want anyone to possibly recognize her.  Not yet.  Of course she worried about drawing the attention of another Cinderella to her side, but she also wasn't quite ready to handle if someone in this city _did_ recognize her.

"-the devil Prince's hordes descend on Estmarch, our enemies allied to his side!  You mustn't let his terrible lies sway you to him!  _We_ are Estmarch!  WE ARE THE DAWN!"

It had been a month since she bade goodbye to Kaito.  From Tonio's desperate speeches she was hearing on the radio, she suspected Kaito was rapidly mobilizing against his forces at the Westheim border and making gains in the Sudland territory.  She heard whispers of his successes – despite the vile propaganda, the rumors sweeping through the Sudland cities she visited told of a man who showed nothing but mercy.  Sudlandians defecting from the Dawn to join up with the Confedere and fight for their homeland.

The Prince proved a brave and talented warrior, but also one obsessed with reducing needless bloodshed.

And he still lived.

As the Godmothers had promised…

She began to walk past a cemetery and –

_The day of the funeral was bitter and cold.  The flowers yet to blossom.  She despised the cold.  Her parents became ash, and she wanted to become ash with them… warm and safe…_

The sweat drenched her face.  Where were these memories coming from?  Were they true?

She turned away and ran from the cemetery lest the event repeat.  There was only one place she needed to go, if only her heart could lead her to the right street, the right house, the right people…

… unless they'd moved or died in the time since she left.

She almost wished they had – then she could bury them in her mind for good.

But a row of houses began to form in front of her and her feet felt familiar cobblestones beneath her shoes.  This path, this was the one…

She tried to steady herself, but she started to shiver.  This time not from the cold, but from the fear.

 

The driver Luka hitched with had thought her utterly mad to want to visit a ghost town, burned to ashes in the wars of the past.  She'd managed to invent a proper lie – that she was paying respects to a burial site.

The driver was a Sudlander like her.  He understood.  But he still dropped her off a kilometer away.  Superstitious.

And so, she walked along the unused dirt road.  Saint-Famille had once been a powerful city, a testament to the growth of Sudland.  The horror of its destruction had so tainted the memory that even its conquerors wanted nothing more to do with it.  Let the ashes rest.  Let the bodies rot in a mass grave.

Let it stand testament to that which was broken.

She spied the burned-out shells of homes in the distance.  Some of them she had faint memories of – the butcher's shop.  The bookstore.  The clockmaker.

She had no guarantees she wasn't followed.  Even if her driver was innocent, that didn't mean someone wouldn't be expecting her.

So she kept her pistol ready and her paranoia strong as she progressed to the great ruins.

The caved in roof of her old church mirrored the broken heart of her countrymen.  Even a chapel provided no sanctuary – the invading forces so brutal they even disrespected holy ground.  She remembered hearing the screams of children as they were gunned down, the terrified nuns and priests trying to shield them in the name of their Lord.

Her heart pounded harder and harder as the memories swelled around her.  Unlike Miku or Rin, Luka had _never_ been spared any of it.  The Godmothers seemed to know she thrived on the pain, and they constantly drove her to relive it.  To sharpen her into a weapon through the injustice she'd been dealt.

But she wasn't here for memories.  She was here because of a train of thought that had been building since she saw the castle at Zellen Sea utterly devastated.  Since Saint-Urbain was blasted into ash and toxic fog.

Both times, she knew the Godmothers were involved, and they had been so desperate twice to destroy just _one_ person that they risked nothing in their wake.

And something kept lingering since then – how did she know Saint-Famille didn't hold something valuable?  Some secret in its ashes that sealed its fate?

The Godmothers had to have been active during at least Sudland's Rose War.  That was when they came and plucked her from the ashes.

She followed the streets, bereft of bodies.  She started to recognize the familiar roads she'd played in as a child.  She saw the smoked out shell of her family's bakery.

And a tear fell from her eye as the horrible experience of trying to survive the fire nearly consumed her again…

 

_She crept so close to the fire that time that she felt the painful embers singeing her skin.  Suddenly a strong woman's hand grabbed her away from the flames and she began to cry.  Why couldn't she burn up?!_

The nausea rising in Miku's stomach grew as she started to recognize more of Aschenputtel.  Even if her memory was untrustworthy, her body seemed to remember the steps she would take to return to her home.  The roads she'd walk on with her mother when they waited for her father to return from a trip.

She spied a faded green roof and her knees locked in place.

Out front a girl with a long grey coat and yellow scarf shoveled snow out of the walkway in front of the house, her long blonde hair bunched up into a ponytail that hung to the side.  At the shop window was another girl in a purple coat with a black and purple ribbon and silvery grey hair, humming off-tune as she wiped the frost from the windows.

'Neru… Haku…'

Her stepsisters.

They were still alive, still cleaning the house.

'But… but I was the only one that… that did the chores… right?'

'Right?!'

She could still hear the words in her head, reminding her of their cruelty.  How little they contributed while working Miku like a slave, how well they lived while she huddled in front of the fireplace for warmth.

Like Cinderella.

But here they were, keeping house without even a single complaint.

"Neru!  Neru, has the postal carrier come by yet?!"

She hadn't heard this voice in years and it chilled her even more than the cold.  This was the voice of the woman that traded her away.  That bargained Miku's future off for money and left her to suffering.

She wanted to rush forward and confront her… but finally seeing the woman stilled her rage.

Miku's stepmother walked out of the house, her once vibrant blonde hair dull and greying, her eyes sunken and empty.  Though the woman couldn't be more than her late-30s in age, the way she slumped, the fragile movements, the sorrow in her face… she seemed twice as old.  
  
"Haku, did you see him?!  Please, I have another letter for Miku and –"

Haku sighed and held out her hand.  "I'll take it down to him," she said sympathetically.

"Oh, thank goodness… with the war going on, it must be even harder for her to get messages."

Haku's singing stopped as she looked to her sister sadly while she took the envelope.  "Don't worry Mother.  The Godmother Society is well protected.  I'm sure we'll hear from Miku quite soon."

'From… Miku…'

_She lay in the ashes, clutching her broom close as the stranger spoke with her stepmother.  Finally, they called her and she reluctantly stood, covered from head to toe in soot.  The stranger looked her over in awe.  "You… you are truly Cinderella."_

"Oh… I hope they're remembering to keep her warm.  This is such a bitter winter…"

Miku shook so hard she couldn’t take another step.  The sorrowful woman disappeared into the house.  The two girls still didn't seem to notice they were being watched as they conferred with each other, Neru leaning onto the shovel.

"Is it even worth it?" Neru said, staring at the envelope, "We know there won't be a response… we know that-"

"No we _don't_!" Haku protested, "She has to still be out there… she's got to be…"

She grabbed her rag and began scrubbing the window furiously.  "We still have to keep this place ready for when Miku comes back."

'When… when I… come back?'

Wasn't she _sold_?!

Neru sighed dejectedly.  "Yea… I'll see if I can find Akira and give him the message."

Miku turned and started to walk away, trying to pretend she wasn't part of the conversation… but she glanced back and watched which way Neru was leaving, so she might follow her herself.

 

The door to her house creaked from disuse as Luka pushed it open.  The collapsed roof in the kitchen had shielded her from the worst of the fire as a child, ironically saving her life as the smoke had an escape path.  The oven was crushed, the pots and pans scattered around and rusting.

Even before the fire, Luka remembered that she'd had a humble home – her family was neither terribly poor nor terribly rich, living a simple life where they survived on what they loved.  In those days, Luka thought she would as well.

'I'm not here to reminisce.  I'm here to find something.'

She swept through the house, trying to recall anything out of place.  The day she'd been pulled from the ashes, she remembered the house being thoroughly searched – more than any of the other buildings.  Meaning somehow, something in Luka's house had been vital.

And all she could recall was how _angry_ the searcher was nothing was found.

Once more, she tried to walk through the last night of near-normalcy.  Before the fire, before the end, when her parents were still alive.  They worked for the Confedere – perhaps they'd learned something vital.

'They were… arguing, right?  I can't recall why, I just remember hiding in the closet when they did… because I never heard them fight like that before…'

She entered their bedroom, spotting the closet, though mold now crept up along the walls, part of the collapsed roof crushing the bed.  She tried to remember sitting inside that closet, and if anything else stood out to her.  Something that was odd to _her_ but unnoticeable by strangers.

She remembered an odd scraping sound and her eyes returned to the ruins of the bed.  She snuck over carefully, noticing some telltale scrapings on the floor… a bit of carpet…

… she pulled the carpet up and saw it.  A safe, embedded in the floor.  She didn't have the right equipment to crack the combination.  She would need something else.

But Gakupo's constant prattling about macarons was what drew Luka to this place again.  Something her parents argued over that night stuck with her as strange.

_"I'll hide it with the macarons.  Only you, mother, will know the combination."_

Luka examined the room better – she saw a trunk with a broken lock, no doubt someone had tried looting it.  She took a chance and popped it open, seeing a few scattered and worn books.  She picked them up carefully…

… the first was a photo album.  The image of her parents shocked her to the core and she trembled as she reached out to touch the page.

'They didn't deserve to die like this…'

The two of them marrying… opening the bakery… her own birth… the three of them making sweets…

Seeing the records of her old life, Luka started to wonder what her life would have been had Saint-Famille survived.  She probably would have taken over the family business and spent her life crafting pastries without a care in the world.

She saw the plate of macarons in the photo of them cooking and Luka's logic overtook her sentiment.  The macarons, her mother wasn't so great a cook that she could make them from memory.  She would have written it down!  She examined the image closer, spying a brown recipe book with a flower etched onto the cover…

… she tore through the trunk and at the very bottom, she rested her hands on that very book.

She thumbed through it quickly, finally spying the recipe she needed.

At the corner of the page was a three-digit number.  Someone unfamiliar with what they were looking for would have likely assumed it was simply the page number for the recipe, but Luka thought that perhaps…

The safe lock popped open as she turned the dials using those digits.  A smile crossed her face as she yanked the door open, eager to finally discover the contents and see what answers they held… if they were truly so valuable that every man woman and child in Saint-Famille deserved to be murdered for it…

 

"Oh, hey Neru!  Another letter from your mom?"

The blonde approached the red-haired boy in the white suit and blue pants.  "Afternoon, Akira.  I don't suppose the mail is still going through?"

He took the envelope from the girl.  "Unfortunately, with the war creeping up on us, we're still taking letters, we just don't know when they'll make it through."

He looked over the envelope and sighed.  "Not that this one will make much difference."

Neru fidgeted nervously.  "Look, I know it's a long shot, but… you never know…" she said, "Maybe Miku made it… maybe she's not one of the ones who died… maybe…"

Akira patted her on the shoulder.  "I get it... she deserved better than that."

As the blonde passed by, Miku took her chance to approach the mail carrier.  "That girl, she was talking about a missing person… who was she?"

The red-head blinked at her.  "And… you are?"

Of course, he was suspicious.  Miku tried to pull back on her approach.  "I… I lost someone to those people… I'm trying to find her.  I thought maybe… maybe that 'Miku' person could lead me to her…"

Akira seemed to be looking Miku over, but he waved her along with him.  "Sorry, there's been a lot of strange things happening.  A few years back these weird women showed up and a bunch of little girls disappeared.  When they started to turn up dead, we just assumed none of them made it."

This wasn't what Miku needed to know – she knew her own story with the Godmothers.  She needed to know what happened before.  She watched Akira stuff the letter in his mail satchel.  "What was Miku like?" she pressed.

"I didn't know her that well, I just know about her from what Neru told me.  She fell apart when her father died.  They had him cremated and scattered in a garden her mother planted, and Miku would just sit in front of the fireplace where the soot gathered… like she wanted to join them."

_Was mother warm in ash?  Was father?  It gave **her** warmth… she never wanted it to end…_

"Neru said her stepmother didn't know how to reach her.  She tried everything.  Finally she started giving her chores just to get her away from the fireplace during the day."

_She hated them for taking her away from where she was safe.  They had lost nothing, she had lost everything.  They smiled and laughed, they had hearts.  She wanted to be with the ashes._

"Then those women showed up… said they could save her.  Take her somewhere for orphan children, heal her heart, and make her in a Princess.  They gave her family money to make up for it… and they never saw Miku again."

_She was Cinderella… she would be a Princess… the ashes had given her a new life…_

"Whoa, hey, are you okay?!"

Miku tried to snap herself out of the memories that threatened to drag her under as Akira shook her.  She leapt back from his touch, clutching her hands close.  "I… I'm sorry…" she apologized, darting away through the streets, trying to regain her sanity, the envelope she'd pilfered from his pack tight in her hand…

 

Just one thing sat in the safe.  A small tan folder.  She picked it up, sifting through the files.  Some dates, from the time of the war.  A missive, detailing important intelligence that had to reach the king.

And a photograph of a woman in a black and white dress.  Though black and white, it was easy to tell the woman's hair possessed a natural silver sheen.  She appeared to be in her late 20s or early 30s at the time of the photograph.

'I… I've seen this woman!  I remember her!  They took me to her when I was pulled from the ashes!'

She turned the photo over.

"Miriam Herthe.  Godmother," she read aloud.

She began to pour through the brief documents, gleaning any useful details from the war…

 

_Dearest Miku,_

_I pray this letter finds you in good health and safety.  Estmarch is at war once again, and now they say the Prince lives and is marching across our lands.  He is supposed to be merciful – if he comes to you, I hope he will understand you._

_Haku and Neru are helping out around the shop, keeping us afloat even in lean times.  Your mother's garden is so lovely in the spring, and the doves still return to it and sing for hours._

_I understand that you may hate me for the choice I made.  I can accept that consequence – I promised your father on his deathbed that I would protect you, and I failed to save your heart.  I hope you have found a kinder home, with comfort and love that heals you far more than I could.  Even if I may never see or hear from you again, if you are happy, than I have fulfilled his will._

_Miku.  You will be a wonderful Cinderella.  The future is bright for you._

_You will always have a home in Aschenputtel._

_Love,_

_Mother_

Miku couldn't stop from sobbing in silence as she read and re-read the letter over and over again, her memories and her life conflicting and stirring up all the emotions she'd been suppressing.  She wanted to despise this women that sold her, but she could also remember her begging to leave the ashes in front of the fire before she got hurt.  She remembered hating their happiness as if it was something they were keeping from her and she remembered Neru and Haku trying to beg her to play outside with them.  She remembered the broom being handed to her and her stepmother guiding her around the house, and how swiftly she would take to the tasks with an empty gaze.

She never got along with her stepmother because they never understood each other, but the woman still tried everything to get her to engage again.  The woman, driven to desperation, tried to save her and unintentionally shattered her.  The handlers, the Godmothers she worked for, they filled her heart and mind with lies, with violence, with poison.

'What am I?!' she cursed quietly, 'Who am I?!  Where do I belong?!'

Miku wasn't Cinderella.  She was _shaped_ into Cinderella.

She clutched the letter close to her chest, remembering the words.  _You will always have a home in Aschenputtel_.  She forced herself to stand up, recalling the streets and the home.  She started to press forward.  She had to say something, she had to do something…

… but she watched the older woman with her daughters.  How close they looked, even as they carried the guilt with them of missing another child.

Her footsteps halted.

'No.  I don't belong here.'

 

Luka dropped the documents and rolled along the floor as a throwing knife impaled the spot where she had been reading.  "Who's there?!" she called out.

She saw a girl in a black dress, with red curly pigtails.  "Red Devil.  Teto."

Fighting Teto was surprisingly easy – the girl was uneven in her assault.  Far too emotional.

"You and Miku tried to do me in!" she screamed as she kept swiping a knife at Luka, "You betrayed me, set me up!  You knew I could be a real Cinderella, and you sent me away!"

"I doubt you tracked me this far," Luka said, easily avoiding the blows, "You've had no chance.  So who sent you here?!"

"They told me to watch Saint-Famille, for YOU!  They knew you'd come back, and they told me if I killed you here, I could be the new Princess!"

Luka spun around, yanking Teto's arm behind her back and causing the girl to scream in pain.  "Do you even know why you want it?"

Teto struggled against Luka further, causing the woman to slam her up against the wall.  "I don't… have anything else…" she started to cry, "This is all that I am… that's all that I could be…"

For a moment, Luka could understand.  Drawn out of a fire when her home was destroyed, she had nothing left.  Broken and burned, she lived for just the revenge.

To Luka… becoming a Princess only meant having a purpose when the revenge was done.  It was never her true goal as a Cendrillon.

"I used to believe it was fate that I survived to be found by the Godmothers.  They told me that my survival meant that I would be the Cendrillon to strike down the people that had stolen my life.  That they came to the ruins of Saint-Famille to elevate its lone survivor.  But that was false."

That picture staring into her mind, the mysterious Miriam.  "It was only chance.  Saint-Famille burned to cover someone else's crimes.  Nobody came seeking me – they only came to make sure they destroyed the evidence of their actions… and they found me."

She laughed wryly.  "I was their 'consolation prize.'"

She felt Teto's struggling weaken.  "It's up to you to decide where you came from, and what you do next."

She tossed the girl to the floor, grabbing the documents from the safe and the recipe book, shoving them into her bag.  "But if you return to them, you tell them this.  Cendrillon's dove is coming to gouge out their eyes."

With that, Luka stepped out of the house. Teto was of no importance now.  She could make her own choices on what to do.  But Luka had already made hers.

 

Miku watched Akira dropping off his satchel of letters, still clutching the one she'd stolen, listening to a nearby café's radio playing a song.

_"There's nowhere for it to go anymore, the heat of this love… The grey clouds, the monochrome clamor… the sunlight casts a shadow, the twilight changes color…"_

The memories floating in her head, the contradictions of her past and herself, began to take form.  It had been so easy for her to believe herself the true Cinderella her handlers and Godmothers told her she was.  That her life so perfectly mimicked the fairy tale that the people who stole her away could even try to convince her to murder an innocent man.

To be a Princess.

It was easier to convince herself of that than the alternative – that she had no purpose except to burn away.

 _"The world blurs; even so, will I still love you? I know this -- but what should I do? How can I, what should I... What an idiot... I am…_ "

She started to understand what exactly Kaito's words to her that night meant.  Why she'd found the strength to abandon that purpose and commit herself to saving his life.

He'd showered her with kindness and trust.  He'd purely opened his heart to her, because he believed she had worth.  Even being a prisoner, manipulated into being silent and weak, he struggled for freedom.

That… was what made her love him.

_"Let's go, this is war!  Just seeing you so happy...! Ardent love is a sin, I'll show you my feelings!"_

And that was why she left him – she could still hurt him.

That was why she left her family – she could still hurt _them_.

So long as she drew breath in a world where the Godmothers still operated, every person she loved was in danger if she stayed near them.

_"Ah, the sky cleared before I knew it and it doesn't suit me. I can't hold my feelings back…How can I, what should I..."_

But she didn't _want_ this!

She had the right to love, the right to have a family, the right to be with Kaito!  Was she supposed to run and hide for the rest of her life?  Kill herself to end it quickly?

'I wasn't… even the only one…'

She thought of Luka and Rin.  She thought of the girls they'd been forced to kill in Jangenschatz.  She even thought of Teto and Akiko…

'Did any one of them choose this?  We were all stolen.  We lost our lives, our childhoods, our families… our futures.  Even if Kaito defeats the Dawn, they'll still exist to kidnap and snatch the futures away from even more little girls that can't protect themselves…'

'I didn't run from Kaito to protect him… I ran… because I was afraid…'

But she couldn't return.  Now that she was away from him, she had an opportunity.  She wasn't dragging a large group of people around or smuggling a famous dead man.  She was alone.  She knew how the Godmothers operated, and where they would start placing Cinderellas.

_"I'm fighting, shooting for the heart! I didn't choose this way! I'll show you how my skirt flutters, and steal your gaze away!"_

She stuffed the letter into her bag.  She'd given Kaito the glass slipper, and now she understood it as a promise.  That she would see him again.  But only after she'd solved her own problems.  He couldn't help her now.

She imagined for a moment their final night together, and the strength of his embrace, the comfort of his words, the passion of his intimacy…

'Kaito.  I am coming back to you, but not until I've dealt with with them.  I promise you, I'm going to bring down the Godmothers, to the last.  I'm going to find the Grand Godmother, and unmask her.  If they're so determined to chase me down, I'll meet every one of them head on!'

And in this way… she could still protect Kaito, even from far away.  Every Cinderella she would take out would be one less to pursue him or undermine his military efforts.  One less that the Godmothers would have to operate in the kingdom, gathering intelligence.

'And when it's all done, when I've finally stopped them… I can go back to Kaito.  And my home.  In Aschenputtel.'

She wasn't sure if this was what Luka had wanted her to do by sending Miku to confront her past, but she silently thanked the pink-haired Cinderella for understanding her, perhaps even better than herself.  'Whatever Luka's planning… if I see her again… it will be as allies.'

'Kaito… I'm sorry for breaking your heart.  I hope you'll forgive me when I see you again.'

She would _not_ fail.

_"Prepare for a counterattack! I'm fighting a losing battle…Love is blindness. Your kiss opens my eyes…"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N:**
> 
> Phew!  That was a lot of exposition.  As much as Flight of Cendrillon is about Kaito, to me this story is always Miku's tale first and this chapter really dug into her.  This is a very sad and broken Miku compared to the others I've written about, and I knew that simply falling in love with Kaito wouldn't be enough.  Miku has to have her own resolution to her internal crisis.
> 
> Luka spelled it out more prominently, but I think by this point in the story she's more comfortable with analyzing herself and what she wants.  Her threat for the Godmothers?  Well, if you're familiar with some of the non-Disney versions of the story, Cinderella is given her gowns by a dove… and that same dove gouges out the eyes of the stepsisters that tormented her.  Hey, Godmothers, you're the ones that pissed off Luka, hope you've got your final affairs in order ;)
> 
> For those that didn't catch it, Akira is the name I used for Arsloid, because of course I didn't want a character in the story with a name that silly (and yet I still used Cul despite knowing she has a very silly name in French… oh well…)  Since Arsloid is voiced by Akira Kano, I just yoinked that name for the hapless postal carrier Miku robs.
> 
>  **Song Credit:** I got sneaky here… Miku didn't sing it, but "Love is War" was playing on the radio at the end of the chapter.  This isn't really a story where Miku is going to sing very much if you guys didn't figure it out.   I feel kind of bad since the songs are something I know people like about the stories, but… well look, not every story is Broken Wings where it's really easy to get them in ;_;
> 
>  **Art Credit:** Er… so this one I pulled from Zerochan and it has no artist listed.  I tried a few reverse image sources to track them down and nothing came up.  So it's possible it's one of many images that the original artist took down.  If someone finds it, let me know and I'll put the credit here.


	16. Update Progress

I'll save you the trouble of reading a TL;DR - no the story isn't dead, yes I'm still writing for it despite health and personal problems, and there are only three more chapters to go that I will release very close together.

 

Hey guys. I'm really sorry this has been so long. It never was meant to be a long radio silence like this. First it was one week, then two... then as it got longer I felt more and more ashamed. I didn't want to write just one more "late update" post. I didn't want to write a "hiatus" post. Because the hiatuses and lack of updates are defining this story more than the actual story. And I guess technically in fanfiction that's not a problem, but for me it is - my entire original goal, all the way back from when I worked on The Summer and Winter Garden, was to update regularly and constantly.

This hasn't always been perfect - Broken Wings had an infamous 6 month drop off when I lost a job. But I kept it relatively in check for my next series.

So what happened? Well, my health took a nosedive. It was one of the reasons for the last announced break in fact. The time that I would normally spend writing became time spent just trying to fight off hours of fatigue. At one point this led to a trip to the hospital to try and sort things out. It's still not sorted.

And every time I tried to get back on top of the writing, it would be harder to get back into the groove. And then I'd just feel the shame again. It's not a huge secret that I deal with chronic depression and it cannot be underestimated what it feels like at times to find that the hardest task in a day is getting out of bed. While I'm back in treatment for it, it's been an uphill struggle to reorganize my life again. So the writing still fell off.

I've finally been reorganizing enough to chip at what's left of this story. I have three chapters left that should wrap the entire narrative. One is mostly done, the other two are planned out but not there yet. And when I'm in my good spots, I chip away at more of it. I hate that this is my pace, but that's the state of things.

I've decided at this point I don't want to announce a proper resumption of updates until all three chapters are completely written, so I can release them back-to-back-to-back. To me, it's utterly critical to not have anymore interruptions and to have a nice smooth flow from chapter to chapter. I want to target Kaito's birthday, but that's a month out and might not be realistic, so I won't make a promise like that.

So to re-iterate - story is still alive and very very very slowly being wrapped up on my end. I wish the news was a little more positive, but since some of you have contacted me out of worry and concern, I wanted to give you an answer.


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